Recently, the Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement create backslash against team. The PCB team omit Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in selection process, and choose Agha Salman. Pakistan’s selectors announce squad for Asia Cup and starts tri-nation series against Afghanistan and UAE. The most reliable batting players of Pakistan country, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not selected for match.
PCB choose Agha Salman over Babar Azam in Asia Cup 2025
The newly selected Pakistan T20I captain, Agha Salman has far inferior strike rate than babar. Let us look at their statistics
- Agha Salman in T20Is: 20 matches, 380 runs, average 27.14, strike rate 115.85.
- Babar Azam in T20Is: Career strike rate 129.22.
Since Salman’s debut in Nov 2024 is Agha’s SR 115.85, while Babar’s SR stands at 150 in his five outings.
It shows the double standards of PCB in selection. If Babar and Rizwan both have lack of acceleration, then how does Salman, whose numbers are already trail from these players.
Impact on Pakistan’s Team Campaign
Pakistan team are placed in Group A with India, Oman and UAE for Asia Cup 2025. Their compaign starts off on 12 September against Oman, followed by clash against arch-rivals India on September 14.
The absence of Babar and Rizwan create vulnerabilities. It also leave the Pakistan without the proven stability that Rizwan and Babar bring high pressure contests.
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