Pakistan have announced their squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, and Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been left out of the 17-member squad which will be led by Salman Ali Agha. The exclusion of the former captains came as no surprise. Neither Babar nor Rizwan has played a T20I this year, and long-standing concerns over their strike rates at the top order have prompted Pakistan to move on from these senior players.
Since Mike Hesson took over as white-ball head coach, he has emphasised the importance of strike rate in T20 cricket. The squad selected for the Asia Cup clearly reflects this approach. Rather than persisting with the slower-scoring pair of Babar and Rizwan, Pakistan have opted for more dynamic options at the top, including Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Haris.
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Farhan has been in excellent form this year, scoring three half-centuries in six matches at an impressive strike rate of 144.94. Saim Ayub is an exciting talent; although his recent performances have been inconsistent, his batting carries a special X-factor. Similarly, Fakhar is a proven match-winner with the bat. Mohammad Haris, the designated wicket-keeper batter, boasts a strike rate of 154.97. With such options, Pakistan’s strength clearly lies in their top order.
There are plenty of explosive options at the top, but as you move down the batting order, some weaknesses in the squad could be exposed.
Salman averages 36.67 in 14 T20Is this year, though his strike rate has been a modest 124.53. What is puzzling is the inclusion of Hussain Talat, who has played just one T20I this year, and Khushdil Shah, whose average is below 15 and strike rate under 100. The only in-form middle-order player is Hasan Nawaz, who has been a revelation since his debut against New Zealand. He began as an opener but was later moved down the order to fill the middle-order gaps. In 14 innings, the aggressive batter has smashed 27 sixes and will be a key part of Pakistan’s middle order in the UAE.
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Faheem Ashraf is the squad’s only specialist seam-bowling all-rounder. His strike rate with the bat is close to 150, while with the ball he has been effective, taking six wickets in nine games at an economy rate of 8.24 this year. Mohammad Nawaz won the Player of the Series award in Pakistan’s last T20 assignment in the Caribbean but has a history of underperforming in multi-nation tournaments.
The pace trio of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali is strong and experienced, with good backups in Mohammad Wasim Jr and emerging left-arm pacer Salman Mirza. This fast-bowling group offers both variety and depth. Pakistan’s spin options are equally intriguing, with Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem leading the charge, supported by the versatile Nawaz, captain Salman and Khushdil.
Overall, Pakistan boasts a fairly youthful squad with solid options at the top and a balanced bowling line-up. However, their middle order presents a potential weakness as this middle-order muddle could come back to haunt them. Success for this team will hinge on moments of individual brilliance rather than collective consistency. As ever with Pakistan in T20 cricket, it is their mercurial unpredictability that ensures they cannot be counted out.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
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