Salman Ali Agha to lead Pakistan in Asia Cup, tri-series
What's the story
Salman Ali Agha is set to lead Pakistan in the impending T20I tri-series and Asia Cup scheduled to be held in the UAE from August 29 to September 28. The tri-series will see Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE compete at Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29 to September 7. The Men's National Selection Committee announced the full-strength squad on August 17.
Information
A look at Pakistan squad
Squad: 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.
Takeaways
Babar, Rizwan left out; other takeaways
Star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, who have been away from the T20I squads, could not make the Asia Cup roster either. Meanwhile, senior top-order batter Fakhar Zaman and all-rounder Faheem Ashraf will once again bolster their T20I squad. The pace department will be strengthened by Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Match lineup
Here's the schedule of the tri-series
The tri-series will kick off with Afghanistan taking on Pakistan on August 29. This will be followed by UAE's clash against Pakistan the next day. The other matches include UAE vs Afghanistan on September 1, Pakistan vs Afghanistan on September 2, and Pakistan vs UAE on September 4. The final of the tri-series is scheduled for September 7 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Tournament details
Asia Cup schedule for Pakistan
The eight-team T20 Asia Cup will be held in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from September 9 to September 28. Pakistan have been drawn in Group A with India, Oman, and the UAE. Their matches include Oman vs Pakistan on September 12, India vs Pakistan on September 14, and UAE vs Pakistan on September 17 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.