No Babar Azam; Rauf out, Saim Ayub dropped? Pakistan's probable squad for SA T20I series

Babar, Rauf unlikely for SA T20Is, Saim's place has been questioned [Source: AFP]

After suffering a heartbreaking defeat in the Asia Cup final against India, Pakistan are gearing up to face South Africa in a T20I series at home. While questions have been raised over Agha Salman's captaincy, the poor form of several key players may prompt the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to make a few tough calls when announcing the squad for the South Africa series. 

As the Men in Green aim to bounce back from the Asia Cup defeat, let's analyse and find out what could be their squad for the upcoming series against South Africa. 

Farhan, Fakhar, Haris likely to retain their spots after Asia Cup heroics

(Stats of Farhan, Fakhar and Haris in Asia Cup 2025)

• Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Haris, the three most successful players in Pakistan's Asia Cup campaign, will likely retain their spots in the T20I side for the South Africa series. 
• Farhan was one of the shining lights for Pakistan, scoring 217 runs at an average of 31, while Fakhar was Pakistan's second-best batter with 181 runs under his belt. Meanwhile, Mohammad Haris, who carried Pakistan's middle-order batting with a couple of crucial knocks, is expected to be included as the wicketkeeper-batter. 

Babar, Rizwan's comeback unlikely for SA T20Is

While the PCB wanted to bring the senior duo of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan back in T20Is following the team's three consecutive defeats to India in the Asia Cup, the selectors and head coach Mike Hesson have apparently opposed the idea. 

Several Pakistani media outlets, including Geo Super, have claimed that Babar and Rizwan are highly unlikely to play the South Africa T20Is, with Pakistan looking to persist with youngsters despite failing to win the Asia Cup. 

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Agha Salman likely to lead despite criticism

Pakistan's crushing Asia Cup defeats against India earned massive backlash for captain Agha Salman. The right-handed batter managed only 72 runs across seven innings at a horrible average of 12 and a strike rate of 80.90, putting his T20I future in jeopardy. 

However, as Geo Super has claimed, the selectors are keen to persist with Salman as Pakistan's T20I captain, considering he has led Pakistan to 17 wins in 30 matches during his tenure. They are impressed with his leadership skills, which is why Agha Salman is likely to continue as the skipper for the South Africa T20Is. 

Probable exclusions for SA T20Is: Haris Rauf, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah

• Haris Rauf, who has bagged 133 T20I wickets across 94 T20I matches, is likely to lose his place due to non-performance in the Asia Cup. Rauf was one of India's prime targets in the final, conceding 50 runs in just 3.4 overs. 
• While his teammates, particularly Shaheen Afridi and Faheem Ashraf, troubled the Indian batters by varying their pace, Rauf was smacked to all parts of the ground upon providing pace on a sticky surface. 
• On the other hand, Hussain Talat, who managed only 46 runs in four innings at an average of 15.33 and a poor strike rate of 92 might make room for a hard-hitting batter like Abdul Samad, with Pakistan aiming to revamp their middle order ahead of the T20 World Cup. 
• In 24 T20 innings, Samad has clobbered 367 runs at a superb strike rate of 144.48. Khushdil Shah could also be one of the exclusions after scoring just 434 runs at an average of 17.4 and a strike rate of 104.1.

Will Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz be dropped after Asia Cup failure?

(Saim and Nawaz's poor stats in Asia Cup 2025)

• Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz were biggest disappointments for Pakistan in the Asia Cup. As evidenced by the above stats, Saim and Nawaz failed miserably with the bat, adversely affecting Pakistan's Asia Cup campaign. 
• But it's also worth mentioning that Saim showcased his bowling skills, scalping eight wickets in six innings. On the other hand, Hasan Nawaz has shown his big-hitting abilities in his brief career, scoring runs at a superb strike rate of 158.10. So, considering they are young and the Pakistan think tank's knack for backing youngsters, Saim and Nawaz will likely retain their spots despite a mediocre Asia Cup campaign. 

Shaheen Afridi likely to lead bowling attack with Faheem, Abrar and Hasan Ali

(Shaheen, Faheem and Abrar's excellent numbers in Asia Cup 2025)

Apart from Rauf's exclusion, no significant change is expected in Pakistan's bowling department for the South Africa series. So, Shaheen Afridi, Pakistan's most successful bowler in the Asia Cup, will likely spearhead the attack with Faheem Ashraf and Mohammad Nawaz, who were impressive in the tournament. Meanwhile, Rauf could be replaced by Abbas Afridi, who has excellent numbers in T20Is (38 wickets in 24 matches, average - 15.5, SR - 11). 

Pakistan's probable squad for South Africa T20Is

Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Hasan Nawaz, Agha Salman (C), Mohammad Haris (WK), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Abdul Samad, Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali, Abrar Ahmed, Abbas Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Wasim Jr

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