LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has clarified that he played no part in the exclusion of senior cricketers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the national squad for the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.
Addressing the media in Lahore, Naqvi emphasized that team selection rests entirely with the selection committee and its advisory panel. “I don’t even have a 1% role in selecting or dropping anyone. The selection committee and advisory body sit together and hold detailed meetings before finalizing the squad,” he said.
Babar and Rizwan, who had featured in every multi-nation tournament since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE, have been sidelined from T20 cricket since the away series against South Africa in December 2024. Their omission from the Asia Cup squad has drawn sharp criticism from fans and become a hot topic among cricket analysts, with Pakistan now shifting its focus to grooming young players for next year’s T20 World Cup.
Naqvi, who chaired the PCB’s 80th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting earlier in the day, reiterated that merit remains the sole criterion for selection. “I have full faith in the selectors. They are professionals, and I have directed them to make decisions purely on merit. Our effort will be to further explore young talent so that healthy competition grows,” he said.
On the question of Mohammad Rizwan’s future as ODI captain, Naqvi noted that the decision would rest with the selectors. “The head coach has submitted his report after our last ODI series. We are reviewing it, and once there is mutual consultation, a final decision will be communicated,” he added.
Rizwan, who replaced Babar Azam as Pakistan’s white-ball captain in October 2024, initially enjoyed success with three consecutive bilateral series wins, including historic victories away in Australia and South Africa. However, the team’s performance dipped sharply, with defeats in a tri-nation series against South Africa and New Zealand, followed by a disappointing group-stage exit from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on home soil.
Pakistan squad for Tri-series and Asia Cup 2025:
Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
