Pakistan selector fires warning ahead of high-voltage Asia Cup 2025 clash

Pakistan’s chief selector Aaqib Javed has issued a warning to India ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, stating that his team is prepared to take on any challenger. Pakistan has announced their 17-member squad, notably without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. The Asia Cup is set to kick off on September 9, with the final scheduled for September 28. Pakistan finds itself in Group A alongside India, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. Javed expressed confidence in the team’s capability to defeat India, recognizing that the rivalry between the two nations remains the most significant in global cricket. He also referenced the ongoing political tensions between India and Pakistan, emphasizing that these should not add undue pressure on the players.

“This team has the ability to beat India in the Asia Cup. Whether you like it or not, the match between India and Pakistan is the biggest in world cricket. Every player knows this,” Javed told reporters.

“Our squad can beat any team. Everyone is ready. Everyone knows the situation surrounding the two countries. But we don’t need to put extra pressure on them,” he added.

In another development, Pakistan’s head coach Mike Hesson revealed that former captain Babar Azam has been advised to enhance his strike rate following his exclusion from the Asia Cup squad.

Babar is not the only former T20I captain left out of the T20I tri-series and the continental tournament in the UAE. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has also been omitted from both events. Neither player has participated in a T20I match for Pakistan since December of the previous year.

Nonetheless, Hesson has addressed the reasons behind Babar’s consistent absence from the T20I format, stating that he must adopt a more aggressive scoring approach to reclaim his position in the shortest format.

“I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form in three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”

Pakistan squad for Asia Cup 2025: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicket-keeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.

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