Pakistan white-ball coach Mike Hesson and chief selector Aaqib Javed hold a press conference in Lahore. Photo: PCB
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 17-member national squad for the upcoming UAE T20 Tri-Series and the Asia Cup 2025.
The tri-series, featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and hosts UAE, will be played in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. Following that, the Asia Cup 2025 is scheduled to take place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28.
All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has been retained as captain of the squad.
Senior players Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Haris Rauf are part of the lineup, while youngsters Saim Ayub, Khushdil Shah, and Hussain Talat have also been included.
The squad further features Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., and Mohammad Haris, along with Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, and Hasan Nawaz. Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, and Sufiyan Muqeem complete the squad.
During the press conference following the squad announcement, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, explained the reasons for retaining pacer Salman Mirza in the squad for the upcoming events.
“We have retained Salman Mirza because of his performance in Bangladesh,” Hesson said.
The 31-year-old impressed with his outstanding bowling performance, emerging as the leading wicket-taker in the series. He claimed seven wickets across all three matches at an impressive economy rate of 5.21.
Pakistan squad for Tri-Series and Asia Cup 2025: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
Hesson issues Afg warning
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has cautioned against taking Afghanistan lightly in the upcoming Asia Cup, stressing that their spin attack and recent form make them one of the most dangerous opponents.
During the press conference, he further explained the importance of Pakistan’s batting depth, particularly the ability of the middle order to counter spin in subcontinental conditions.
“Afghanistan were semifinalists in the previous T20 World Cup. They are a top sideespecially when you play them in Sharjah,” Hesson said.
“Not only can our middle order rotate strike against spin, but they can also apply pressure, which is going to be vital. We’re not taking any of these games lightly. In terms of preparation for the Asia Cup, we honestly couldn’t ask for anything better,” he added.
The coach noted that playing in Sharjah will present a major challenge for Pakistan’s batting group, particularly against spin, but insisted that it will serve as an ideal test before the T20 World Cup.
“In the Asia Cup, we are going to face some of the best spin-bowling sides, and this will be a great opportunity ahead of the T20 World Cup. Playing in Sharjah will be a real challenge against spin, and that’s why our middle order is so critical,” he explained.
Hesson also addressed Pakistan’s preparations, pointing to recent series as evidence of the team’s growing consistency.
“We have won six out of nine matches, with one of our losses coming on the very last ball. There haven’t been many changes in our squad. Right now, our focus is on winning and maintaining consistency, and the team is playing good cricket in T20s,” he said.
He also threw his weight behind captain Babar Azam, saying the star batter is working hard to improve his strike-rate and ability against spin.
“There’s no doubt Babar has been asked to improve in some areas, particularly against spin and in terms of his strike-rate. Those are aspects I know he’s working very hard on at the moment,” he said.
“A player like Babar also has the opportunity to play in the BBL and showcase improvements in those areas of T20 cricket. He’s simply too good of a player for us not to consider.”
Hesson praised other key performers such as Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, and Fakhar Zaman, saying all three had fully earned their places in the squad.
“The players we have have performed exceptionally well. For example, Sahibzada Farhan played six games and won three Man of the Match awards. You want players who, when they score runs, have a huge impact on the outcome of the gameand that’s exactly what we ask from Saim and Fakhar as well,” the coach said.