Media365
Pakistan selectors on Sunday omitted senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan while announcing a 17-member squad for the upcoming tri-series in the UAE later this month, followed by the Asia Cup.The squad, announced by the PCB on its official website, includes senior fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim, and left-arm pacer Salman Mirza.Ahead of the Asia Cup — scheduled in the T20 format from September 9 in the UAE — Pakistan will feature in a tri-series against Afghanistan and the hosts UAE at Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. Salman Ali Agha will lead the side.Meanwhile, a video of legendary cricketer Javed Miandad slamming the selectors for excluding Babar has gone viral on social media.“Unko khud ko nahi pata. Unhone cricket kheli hai? Jo jis level pe cricket kheli hai, woh selection kar rahe hain Babar Azam ki. Usko kya nazar aayega? Babar Azam is a great player. Ups and downs hote hain. Cricket is like a radio — you have to catch the station. Jab aap wicket pe jaate ho, bowler aata hai, aap sochte ho – haan, main yeh kar sakta hoon,” Miandad said.Pakistan are placed in Group A alongside arch-rivals India, as well as the UAE and Oman, in the eight-team Asia Cup, which will run from September 9 to 28.Pakistan squad:Salman Ali 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, Sufyan Moqim.
