Salman Agha Appointed Captain for Pakistan's Upcoming T20I Series and Asia Cup

New Leadership for Pakistan's Cricket Team

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 17: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced that Salman Agha will take the helm as captain for the forthcoming T20I tri-series and the Asia Cup, set to unfold in the UAE from August 29 to September 28.

Notably, prominent players Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan have been excluded from the squad for both tournaments. Despite being the second-highest run scorer in T20 cricket, Azam's recent performance, where he managed only 56 runs across three ODIs against the West Indies, led to his omission.

Fakhar Zaman, who recently faced a hamstring injury during the T20I series against the West Indies, has made the squad. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub, who excelled as the top run scorer in the recent T20 series against the West Indies, has also secured a place in the team.

All-rounder Hasan Nawaz has been included following his impressive 112 runs in three matches against the West Indies. However, pacer Naseem Shah, who was the leading wicket-taker in that series, has been left out.

Leading the pace attack will be Shaheen Shah Afridi, supported by Haris Rauf, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, and Salman Mirza. The spin department will be headed by Abrar Ahmed, alongside Mohammad Nawaz, Sufyan Moqim, and Khushdil Shah.

The tri-series, which includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE, will take place at Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7. Following that, the eight-team ACC Asia Cup T20I tournament will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to 28, with Pakistan placed in Group 'A' alongside India, Oman, and the UAE.

17-member squad: 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 Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Sufyan Moqim.