Islamabad: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series and Asia Cup in the UAE, naming Salman Agha as captain.
In a major move, senior batter Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan have been dropped for both tournaments. Despite being Pakistan’s second-highest run scorer in the format, Babar has been left out after a lean run, managing just 56 runs in three ODIs against West Indies.
Opener Fakhar Zaman, who recently recovered from a hamstring injury, returns to the squad. Youngster Saim Ayub, the top run-scorer in the West Indies T20I series, has also been included. All-rounder Hasan Nawaz, who impressed with 112 runs across three matches against the West Indies, has been rewarded with a place in the squad.
Surprisingly, pacer Naseem Shah, the leading wicket-taker in the West Indies series, has been omitted. The pace attack will instead be led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, supported by Haris Rauf, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, and Salman Mirza. Abrar Ahmed will spearhead the spin department alongside Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Khushdil Shah.
The tri-series, involving Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the UAE, will be played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7. The Asia Cup T20I, featuring eight teams, will run from September 9 to 28 in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Pakistan are placed in Group ‘A’ with India, Oman, and UAE.
