Pakistan’s 17-man roster for the 2025 Asia Cup did not feature Babar Azam or Muhammad Rizwan, two of the country’s most seasoned cricket players. According to Mohsin Naqvi, the chairperson of the Pakistan Cricket Board, he has little influence over who is chosen for the national team.
Naqvi explained that the advisory group and the selection committee consult before any decisions are made regarding which players will be chosen for Pakistan.
“To begin with, I have absolutely no influence over who gets added to or removed from the team. We have an advisory body and a selection committee, and they all sit together. Discussions that take eight to ten hours, and occasionally two to three days, are part of the lengthy process. Naqvi was cited by News18 as saying, “If a team is being chosen, it’s in good hands; all professionals are there.”
Naqvi went on to explain that PCB’s long-term goal was to develop as many up-and-coming talents as possible so they could receive enough recognition.
All I have told them is that they should base their judgement on merit, and I will support that. I carried it forward, refined it with whatever lot was available. In order to increase cricket competition and allow the greatest players to emerge, we are currently working to sign as many fresh players as we can,” he continued.
The last time Babar and Rizwan played for Pakistan in Twenty20 Internationals was in December.
They were left out of the Men in Green’s final four Twenty20 International series: the away series against New Zealand, the home series against Bangladesh, and the away series against the West Indies. It was thought that the two seasoned cricket players would be called up for the Asia Cup even though the writing was already on the wall.
In the forthcoming eight-team competition, Pakistan is grouped with India, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates in Group A. At the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, they will play their opening match of the season on September 12 against Oman. On September 14, they will play their bitter rivals, India, there.
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