Pakistan’s celebrated batting duo, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, remain on the sidelines as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) finalises its plans for the upcoming tri-nation T20I series and the ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025.
The tri-series, featuring Afghanistan and the UAE, will run from August 29 to September 7 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, serving as a key build-up event ahead of the Asia Cup in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Babar and Rizwan have not featured in Pakistan’s T20I squad since December 2024, and their recent performances in the ODI series against the West Indies did little to strengthen their case for a comeback. Babar managed scores of 47, 0, and 9, while Rizwan contributed 53, 16, and 0 in the three-match series.
In contrast, the selectors have rewarded recent T20 form, bringing back pacer Salman Mirza and all-rounder Ahmed Daniyal, both of whom impressed in the recent series against Bangladesh. Mirza bagged seven wickets in three matches, while Daniyal took three wickets and added 17 runs in two games. The pair will replace Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf, who are being rested for workload management but are expected to return for the Asia Cup.
Originally, Pakistan had planned to host Afghanistan in a bilateral T20I series in August. However, the PCB proposed a tri-series format and shifted the fixtures to the UAE to help all teams acclimatise to local conditions ahead of the continental event.
Tri-Series Schedule (All matches at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 7:00 PM local time)
- 29 August: Afghanistan vs Pakistan
- 30 August: UAE vs Pakistan
- 1 September: UAE vs Afghanistan
- 2 September: Pakistan vs Afghanistan
- 4 September: Pakistan vs UAE
- 5 September: Afghanistan vs UAE
- 7 September: Final
The tri-series will see each team face the others twice before the top two advance to the final. With the Asia Cup looming, it promises to be a crucial testing ground for squads to fine-tune their combinations and adapt to conditions in the UAE.
