On Sunday, August 17, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) named a 17-man roster for the upcoming tri-series in Sharjah and the Asia Cup. Salman Ali Agha will continue to manage the side, having recently led the Men in Green to a 2-1 victory in a three-match T20I series against the West Indies in the Caribbean.
Interestingly, Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, two veteran players, were not called up. Since the December 2024 series against South Africa, neither of them has played a T20I for Pakistan.
Pakistan’s roster is a good combination of youth and experience.
Youngsters like Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan will form an aggressive opening duo, while Hasan Nawaz, who is in good form, will be a man to watch in the middle.
The seam-bowling department has extensive expertise, with players such as Shaheen Shah Afridi, Hasan Ali, and Haris Rauf in the mix. Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Abrar Ahmed are likely to play important roles with their bowling ability on UAE wickets that may be suitable to spin bowling.
Ahead of the Asia Cup, which will be played in T20 format, Pakistan will travel to Sharjah for a tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE from August 29 to September 7. All matches will be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Following the tri-series, Pakistan’s Asia Cup campaign will begin on September 12 against Oman at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Pakistan’s next game will be a thriller when they face arch-rivals India at the same stadium on September 14. The two-time champions’ group stage campaign will conclude on September 17 with a match against the UAE.
Pakistan’s squad for tri-series and Asia Cup: Salman Ali (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
India
