Cricket: Agha to lead, Babar Out! Pakistan reveal squad for 2025 Asia Cup
PCB make big calls for 2025 Asia Cup campaign
The 2025 Asia Cup is shaping up to be one of the most exciting limited-over competitions we have witnessed in recent times, not just because we will be treated to watching the world's best cricketing nations face off, but also due to the tensions between nations in the lead-up to the competition.
At the forefront of these story lines are Pakistan and New Zealand, whose recent rivalry has turned up a notch following the attacks in Paligam earlier this year, which led to the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League being altered for just over a week.
Thus, with the Blue and Green Shirts being drawn into the same group for the Asia Cup, which could potentially see them cross paths more than once in a space of less than a month, it's fair to say that this is a potential record breaker in the making from a viewership standpoint.
India and Afghanistan were among the first teams to confirm their squads for the Asia Cup, and this past weekend, the Pakistan Cricket Board revealed the 15 players that will look to earn them their third Asia Cup title, with Salman Ali Agha set to lead them into battle.
The most notable calls made by the PCB included the omission (once again) of Babar Azam and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan. Fakhar Zaman, meanwhile, has shaken off his hamstring injury and has made the cut.
Pakistan have been drawn into group A, which includes India, Oman, and the UAE. The high-profile clash with the Men in Blue is set for September 14 in Dubai, two days after the tournament opener against Oman.
While the much-anticipated clash between India and Pakistan is set to go ahead as scheduled at the time of writing the India’s sports union have confirmed that they will only face the Shieans in global or continental competitions, for which the Asia Cup is an example.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025
Salman Agha (captain), 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 Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
