The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is expected to announce the national squad for the upcoming T20I tri-nation series and the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in the second week of August, according to reliable sources.
Sources confirm that no major changes are anticipated in the squad, with the management likely to retain the core group of players that featured against Bangladesh and later the West Indies in recent white-ball series.
However, the availability of Fakhar Zaman remains uncertain. The left-handed opener suffered a hamstring injury during the T20I leg of the West Indies tour, which ruled him out of the remaining T20Is and ODIs. Following the injury, Fakhar was recalled from Florida and directed to report to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore, where he is currently undergoing rehabilitation.
The medical panel will closely monitor his recovery in the coming days, and his inclusion in the upcoming squad will depend on his fitness status ahead of the tournaments.
Meanwhile, sources indicate that Shadab Khan is unlikely to be considered for selection, further narrowing the options for the selectors.
Tri-Nation T20I Series Ahead of Asia Cup
The T20I tri-series, featuring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7.
This series is seen as a key preparatory phase for all three sides ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, which kicks off just two days after the tri-series final.
Tri-Series 2025 Schedule (Sharjah – All matches at 7:00 PM local time)
- August 29 – Afghanistan vs Pakistan
- August 30 – UAE vs Pakistan
- September 1 – UAE vs Afghanistan
- September 2 – Pakistan vs Afghanistan
- September 4 – Pakistan vs UAE
- September 5 – Afghanistan vs UAE
- September 7 – Final
Each team will play the others twice, and the top two teams will qualify for the final.
Asia Cup 2025: High Stakes and Big Clashes
The ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 will begin on September 9, also in the UAE, with eight teams competing across two groups.
Pakistan has been placed in Group A alongside India, UAE, and Oman, setting up yet another high-voltage clash against arch-rivals India.
Pakistan will begin their campaign on September 12 against Oman, followed by the India match on September 14, and their final group-stage game will be against UAE on September 17.
Complete Asia Cup 2025 Schedule:
Group Stage:
- Sept 9: Afghanistan vs Hong Kong
- Sept 10: India vs UAE
- Sept 11: Bangladesh vs Hong Kong
- Sept 12: Pakistan vs Oman
- Sept 13: Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka
- Sept 14: India vs Pakistan
- Sept 15: UAE vs Oman & Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong
- Sept 16: Bangladesh vs Afghanistan
- Sept 17: Pakistan vs UAE
- Sept 18: Sri Lanka vs Afghanistan
- Sept 19: India vs Oman
Super Four Stage:
- Sept 20: B1 vs B2
- Sept 21: A1 vs A2
- Sept 23: A2 vs B1
- Sept 24: A1 vs B2
- Sept 25: A2 vs B2
- Sept 26: A1 vs B1
Final:
- September 28
Eyes on Squad Announcement and Fakhar’s Recovery
With the squad announcement expected soon, all eyes will be on whether Fakhar Zaman makes the cut, and what combination the selectors go with heading into two major tournaments. After a mixed tour of Bangladesh and a bounce-back series win over the West Indies, Pakistan’s team management, under Mike Hesson, will be hoping for consistency and fitness heading into a busy September.
