Pakistan Announces Asia Cup Squad Without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan

Pakistan's cricket board has announced a 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, led by Salman Agha, with notable exclusions being Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and T20 triangular series in the United Arab Emirates. Surprisingly, former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan didn't make the cut. The team, led by Salman Agha, will participate in a tri-series featuring Afghanistan and the UAE hosts before the Asia Cup.

The exclusion of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has raised eyebrows, with Chief Selector Aqib Javed stating that both players have been given guidance on areas to improve, particularly against spin and strike rate. The door remains open for their return to the T20 squad, with selection based on recent performance. The Asia Cup will take place from September 9 to 28, with Pakistan's first match against Oman on September 12, followed by a high-profile clash against India on September 14.

Pakistan's cricket board has announced a 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup, with notable exclusions being former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. This isn't the first time they've been left out, as they were also omitted from the T20I leg of Pakistan's West Indies tour earlier this month, which Pakistan lost 2-1.

Pakistan's Asia Cup Squad:

Captain: Salman Agha

Batsmen: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Hussain Talat, and Salman Mirza

Wicketkeeper: Mohammad Haris

Bowlers: Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, and Sufyan Moqim

Despite their absence from recent T20I matches, Chief Selector Aqib Javed hasn't ruled out Babar and Rizwan's return, emphasizing that selection is based on recent performance. Pakistan will begin their Group A campaign against Oman in Dubai on September 12, followed by a match against arch-rivals India on September 14.