The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-man squad that will travel to UAE for the Asia Cup 2025 next month.
The biggest talking point was the absence of ace Pakistani batters and former captains Babar Azam and Mohammed Azam, who failed to make it to the roster.
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The star batting duo had already been missing from Pakistan's recent T20I squads and their omission from the Asia Cup squad reinforces the selectors' decision to move in a new direction.
Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. He has shown flashes of form in the Pakistan Super League but struggled in the ODI series against West Indies. Rizwan has also not played in T20Is since the Bangladesh and West Indies tours and has displayed inconsistent performances in ODIs.
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Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 schedule: Full list of matches
Pakistan are placed in Group A, alongside arch-rivals India, Oman and hosts UAE. The India vs Pakistan marquee clash is set to be held on September 14.
MORE: India schedule at Asia Cup 2025
| Date | Match | Venue | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 12 | Pakistan vs Oman | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 7:30 p.m |
| September 14 | Pakistan vs India | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 7:30 p.m |
| September 17 | Pakistan vs UAE | Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai | 7:30 p.m |
The Super Four stage will start on September 20, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for that stage.