Asia Cup 2025: PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi breaks on silence on dropping Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sparked debate on Saturday after unveiling its 17-man squad for the upcoming UAE tri-nation series and the Asia Cup 2025, notably leaving out star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Responding to the controversy, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stressed that he had no involvement in the selections. “I don’t have even 1% role in putting players into the team or taking them out,” Naqvi told reporters. “The selection committee and advisory body go through discussions lasting up to 8-10 hours, sometimes for days. I have only told them that whatever decision they take should be on merit, and I will support it.”

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Pakistan’s squad reflects a new direction, with selectors prioritizing attacking batting options. The opening slots will be filled by Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Fakhar Zaman. Both Babar and Rizwan have been absent from T20 internationals since December 2024. Explaining the rationale, Naqvi said, “Our effort is to bring in as many new players as possible so that there is more competition and the best of the best can come forward.”