Pakistan selectors snub Babar and Rizwan for Asia Cup

By Special Correspondent

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan could not make the cut for the Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates next month. The 17-member team, led by Salman Agha, will play a T20 tri-series in the UAE featuring the hosts as well as Afghanistan in their buildup to the Asia Cup, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Sunday. Babar and Rizwan were not picked for the T20 leg of Pakistan’s West Indies tour this month, where they were beaten 2-1 by the hosts.  Babar and Rizwan have been star performers in the shortest format in the past, but have not played since December, which head coach Mike Hesson put down to other players performing well while addressing a press conference.  “We know what a fine player Babar (Azam) is,” said Hesson.  “Babar has been asked to improve in certain areas, like taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate, and he is working hard on these things.  “The players we have are performing well and having a positive impact,” said Hesson. Since Hesson took over as head coach in May, Pakistan have played three T20 series — winning 3-0 at home but losing 2-1 away to Bangladesh. They then beat the West Indies 2-1 in the United States. “Our focus is to win the tri-series and the Asia Cup, and the aim is to peak from these pinnacle events,” said Hesson. Pacer Shaheen Afridi has been retained while opener Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the West Indies, has been included for the Sept 9-28 tournament. The side also sees the return of fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza. Mirza took seven wickets in Bangladesh but was left out of the squad against the West Indies. Pakistan will begin their Group A campaign against Oman in Dubai on September 12 before meeting arch-rivals India at the same venue two days later.

Pakistan squad:

Salman Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Afridi and Sufyan Moqim.