Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan left out of Asia Cup squad

Pakistan have omitted senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from their squad for the Asia Cup 2025. The 17-member group will be led by Salman Agha.

Neither Babar nor Rizwan have featured in Pakistan's recent T20I squads, at home and away against Bangladesh, and in the series against West Indies, and their absence from a major multi-team event points to a shift in approach ahead of next year's T20 World Cup. In the latest Pakistan Super League season, Babar scored 288 runs at a strike rate of 128.57 for Peshawar Zalmi, while Rizwan made 367 at 139.54, including a century for Multan Sultans. Both last played a T20I in December 2024.

"There's no doubt Babar's been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he's working really hard on," head coach Mike Hesson said. "But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he's improving in those areas in T20s. He's too good a player not to consider."

Salman, appointed captain earlier this year, will also lead the side in a tri-series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE before the Asia Cup begins on September 9. The selectors have retained all 15 players who featured in the 2-1 series win in the West Indies. Fakhar Zaman, who missed the latter stages of that tour with a hamstring injury, has been passed fit.

That squad sees two additions: left-arm seamer Salman Mirza and allrounder Mohammad Wasim.

Pakistan are scheduled to face India in their opening Asia Cup game on September 10 at the Dubai International Stadium.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem