Aaqib Javed believes the Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan squad has the strength to beat India in the Asia Cup 2025.
Pakistan’s high-performance director Aaqib Javed expressed strong confidence in the national team after the announcement of their Asia Cup 2025 squad. The tournament will be played in the T20I format from September 9 to 28 across Dubai and Abu Dhabi, featuring eight teams.
Pakistan named a 17-member squad led by all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who also captained the side during recent assignments. The squad notably excludes senior players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Naseem Shah. Babar and Rizwan, Pakistan’s leading T20I run scorers, were left out following recent struggles, including a disappointing series defeat in Bangladesh.
Javed, however, backed the current squad, stressing that Pakistan have the depth and balance to challenge top teams in the competition. He particularly highlighted India as the main rival, calling the match the biggest occasion in world cricket.
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“This team has the ability to beat India in the Asia Cup. Whether you like it or not, the match between India and Pakistan is the biggest in world cricket. Every player knows this,” Javed said.
“Our squad can beat any team. Everyone is ready. Everyone knows the situation surrounding the two countries (India and Pakistan). But we don’t need to put extra pressure on them,” he added.
Pakistan last reached the Asia Cup final in 2022, finishing as runners-up.
Pakistan’s squad for Asia Cup 2025
Salman Ali Agha (C), Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (WK), Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed.
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Last Updated on August 17, 2025
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