ASIA CUP 2025: PAKISTAN COULD BE A TOUGH NUT TO CRACK

The bowling unit of Pakistan can help them do well. They have a dream pace attack and versatility on offer. Shaheen Afridi, Hasan Ali and Haris Rauf are top specialists. Mohammad Wasim Jr and Salman Mirza add more...

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The Asia Cup returns for its 17th edition to be held in the United Arab Emirates. This season, the Asia Cup will be played in the T20I format. For the 3rd time, the tournament will be played in the 20-over format. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in the picture, this will serve as a good test for Asia's biggies. Sans Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket team with different ideas and setup, will look to come up with the goods. Under Salman Agha's captaincy, the Pakistan team is value for money with a balanced unit. Agha was appointed skipper this year following the ICC Champions Trophy. They started on a poor note, losing 4-1 to the Kiwis. This was followed by a 3-0 win over Bangladesh and then a 2-1 defeat against the same opponents. Pakistan then downed West Indies 2-1 away. Agha's men have won both their opening games, which will boost their confidence. What we have noticed is that this team may not be just a walkover, and a fight is what they will provide. Coming to the Asia Cup, the tournament will start from September 9 onwards, and the final will be played on September 28. Eight teams are divided into two groups, with Pakistan placed in Group A alongside UAE, Oman and India. The top 2 teams will reach the Super 4. Pakistan are expected to progress alongside India.

Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025, we decode the strengths, weaknesses and analysis of the Pakistan side.

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Salman Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.

STRENGTHS OF PAKISTAN