Fakhar Injured, Saim In; Will Babar, Shaheen Be Picked? Pakistan’s Probable Asia Cup Squad

Pakistan have yet to pick Asia Cup squad [Source: AFP]

Pakistan enjoyed stellar success in the T20I series against West Indies, securing an emphatic 2-1 win over the hosts. Led by Agha Salman, the Pakistani contingent showcased remarkable skill and resilience to stun the Men in Maroon in a series of riveting face-offs. 

The West Indies T20Is helped the Men in Green fine-tune their T20 game ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. As the tournament nears, let's analyse and find out what could be Pakistan's probable 15-member squad for the showpiece event. 

Saim, Nawaz, Salman, Farhan, Rauf, Muqeem to form core group

(T20I stats of Pakistan's key players)

• Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan must be locked in as the openers due to their recent exploits in the West Indies. Saim’s multi-dimensional game and Farhan’s red-hot form make compelling cases for their inclusion in the Asia Cup squad. 
• Hasan Nawaz brings flexibility to the table as he has succeeded at different batting positions in his brief career. He is a clean striker of the ball and can play a vital role for Pakistan in this tournament. 
• Meanwhile, skipper Agha Salman will spearhead the all-rounders’ department, with Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz likely to assist them. Nawaz was magnificent in the recently held West Indies series, scalping seven wickets in three matches. 
• Haris Rauf’s extra pace and ability to hit the deck make him a tricky customer for the opponent batters. On the other hand, Sufiyan Muqeem and Abrar Ahmed will likely get the nod as the frontline spinners, thanks to their consistency with the ball in the shortest format. 

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The questions which need to be answered

Fakhar Zaman or Babar Azam?

• Veteran batter Fakhar Zaman recently sustained a hamstring injury, which ruled him out of the West Indies series. The PCB has kept an eye on Fakhar’s fitness status, with several reports claiming that Babar Azam is the frontrunner to replace him if he gets ruled out of the Asia Cup. 
• With Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan forming a dynamic opening pair, Pakistan must hope for Fakhar to recover in time. However, if he fails to do so, the Men in Green should bring Babar Azam back to add experience to their lineup. 

Will Shaheen Afridi be picked?

• Shaheen Afridi had a topsy-turvy time in the T20I series against the West Indies, scalping two wickets in the first two T20Is. Although Afridi didn’t run through the hosts’ lineup, he was able to control the flow of runs, registering an impressive economy of just over seven against the Caribbean swashbucklers. 
• Additionally, Shaheen Afridi looked sublime in the first match of the ongoing ODI series. He bagged four crucial wickets, playing a key role in Pakistan’s victory. The PCB must be keenly observing his recent exploits, and given that Pakistan haven’t quite found his alternatives, it’s highly likely that he will make it into the Asia Cup squad. 

The Curious case of Hasan Ali and Naseem Shah

• Hasan Ali made a well-deserved comeback to T20Is following an impressive PSL season where he bagged 17 wickets in ten matches. However, the fast bowler had a forgettable time in the West Indies T20Is (1 wicket in 2 games, economy - 12.28), and his performance might go against him when the Asia Cup squad is picked. 
• Naseem Shah, on the other hand, was sidelined from T20Is after recording just 11 wickets across 14 T20Is since 2023. But his pace, accuracy and ability to make the new ball talk make him a more suitable contender than Hasan Ali for the Asia Cup. Also, Naseem recently bagged a three-wicket haul in the first ODI against the West Indies, a performance that could prompt the selectors to prefer him over Hasan Ali for the Asia Cup. 

Abbas Afridi over Khushdil Shah: Why does this move make sense?

(T20I stats of Afridi and Khushdil)

• As mentioned in the above table, Khushdil Shah has been successful as neither a batter nor a bowler for Pakistan in T20Is. 
• His strike rate of 104.6 makes his place as a finisher even more questionable. In such a scenario, Pakistan could pick an X-factor like Abbas Afridi, who can be a valuable asset for them with his variations on the UAE pitches. 
• Besides being effective as a middle and death overs specialist, Abbas can be handy as a hitter lower down the order. 

Pakistan’s Probable Squad For Asia Cup 2025

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman (if not fit then Babar Azam), Mohammad Haris (WK), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah/Hasan Ali

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