With just a few weeks to go before the Asia Cup, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh have nailed down their squads for the tournament.
Pakistan and Afghanistan will both feature in a tri-series also involving the United Arab Emirates beginning Aug. 29.
Spin is expected to be a major factor in both the tri-series and the Asia Cup being held in the U.A.E. The squads are representative of that.
Fakhar Zaman had picked up a hamstring concern while playing in the Caribbean but has made the Pakistan squad. The biggest names missing for the team are Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Salman Agha will captain the side.
India already named its squad last week.
The Asia Cup begins on Sept. 9 with Afghanistan going up against Hong Kong.
Pakistan Squad Looking For Young Players To Emerge
Squad: Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim.
There are still several experienced campaigners but Pakistan will be hoping the likes of Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz make a name for themselves.
Ayub was Pakistan’s most impressive player in the recently concluded T20I series against the West Indies. He scored 130 runs in three matches while striking at 135 and also took five wickets in 10 overs. Those tallies made him the team’s highest run-scorer and second-leading wicket taker.
Pakistan last won the Asia Cup in 2012 under Misbah ul-Haq’s captaincy. In the last T20I edition of the tournament in 2022, Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka in the final by 23 runs.
Afghanistan Look To Shake Off Rust
Squad: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Led by Rashid Khan, the main hurdle Afghanistan will be looking to overcome is a lack of matches. This is a team that hasn’t played a single T20 international in 2025 and a total of three matches over the last 12 months.
That doesn’t mean they haven’t been active in the T20 format itself. The captain along with the likes of Azmatullah Omarzai were among the active players in this year’s IPL while Khan has shown some fine form in The Hundred in England as well.
Currently ranked ninth in the world behind Pakistan and Sri Lanka, Afghanistan will be keen to show they are better than that.
Bangladesh Aim To Compete
Squad: Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin.
Mehidy Hasan Miraz is probably the biggest name missing as Bangladesh named its squad for the Asia Cup.
Litton Das continues to mold the team in his vision and will hope three T20Is against the Netherlands prior to the Asia Cup will help.
