The Pakistan national cricket team became the first nation to announce its official squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, while also naming its squad for the UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025, which will act as a precursor to the marquee continental competition involving the best teams from Asia. The 17-member squads for both competitions will be led by Salman Ali Agha, will be without their veterans Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan, but will see several young talents, including Salman Mirza, showcase their skills on the international stage. No Babar Azam, Mohammed Rizwan As Pakistan Squad for Asia Cup 2025 and UAE T20I Tri-Series 2025 Announced, Salman Ali Agha Retained As Captain

The selectors have opted to showcase faith in Mirza ahead of proven talents like Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, Aamer Jamal, and Shahnawaz Dhani. Mirza will find the likes of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Mohammed Wasim Jr to rely on as bowling partners, which might ease a bit of pressure on the 31-year-old pacer, who has gained a reputation in domestic cricket as a death-overs specialist.

Who Is Salman Mirza?

Salman Mirza is a product of the PSL franchise Lahore Qalandars, who discovered the pacer via the Player Development Program. Mirza made his T20 debut for Qalandars during PSL 2021 but waited until December 2023 to make his First-Class (FC) debut for Mountaineers while making his List-A debut in November 23. Asia Cup 2025: Schedule, Venue, Squads, Live Streaming, Telecast Details and All You Need to Know About 17th Edition of Continental Competition

In 26 T20 matches, Mirza has claimed 46 wickets, which include playing a crucial role in the PSL 2025 winning campaign for Lahore Qalandars, claiming nine wickets in four games in the final stages of the competition.

A solid show in PSL 2025 saw Mirza get a national call-up for T20Is against Bangladesh, where the pacer picked seven wickets in three matches. Overall, in six FC and 3 List-A matches, the lanky speedster has claimed 33 wickets, which include one five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2025 01:05 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).