The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has reportedly finalized its team selection for the 2025 Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, which is scheduled to begin on November 14 in Doha. Irfan Khan Niazi is expected to lead the side, with the PCB showing confidence in the next generation as they prepare for the competition.
Pakistan is set to face Oman in the opening match at the West End Park International Cricket Stadium in Doha. The eight teams have been divided into two groups, with India, Pakistan, Oman and UAE placed in Group B, while Group A consists of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.
PCB finalizes squad for 2025 Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament
According to Au Rangzab Younis, Pakistan has finalized the 15-member squad for the newly branded tournament. The team will participate in the event later this month.
Pakistan continues to support young cricketers who have already made an impact in the domestic game and franchise leagues. Many of these players are making their mark in the local circuit.
Arafat Minhas will provide balance with his all-round skills, while Sufiyan Muqeem and Ubaid Shah are expected to lead the bowling group with their skills.
With a mix of emerging talent and experienced domestic performers, Pakistan will look to make an impact in the competition. For many players, this will be an important opportunity to represent the country on the big stage.
Pakistan’s reported squad for Asia Cup Rising Stars 2025:
Irfan Khan Niazi (captain), Yasir Khan, Mohammad Naeem, Mohammad Faiq, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghauri, Mohammad Shahzad, Saad Masood, Arafat Minhas, Mubasir Khan, Shahid Aziz, Sufiyan Muqeem, Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Salman, Ahmed Daniyal.
The Emerging Teams event, launched in 2013, has evolved from an under-23 competition to a tournament for ‘A’ sides over its six editions.
Sri Lanka and Pakistan have won the title twice each, while India and Afghanistan have one championship each. The most recent edition took place in Oman in 2024, where Afghanistan captured the trophy with a seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final.
Teams of India and Pakistan will face each other for the first time after the Asia Cup.
The match between India and Pakistan will be held on 16 November. Notably, this will be the first time that the men’s teams will face each other since the Asia Cup tie in September. The only interaction between the countries took place during the Women’s ODI World Cup last month.
Their last meeting in the men’s tournament ended in an uneasy truce. There were no handshakes or friendly conversations between the players, increasing the tension surrounding the match. The Men in Blue finished that competition as champions.
India did not want to take the trophy from ACC chief Mohsin Naqvi, who is also the PCB chairman and Pakistani minister. After the ceremony was halted, the ACC representative eventually removed the trophy from the stage.
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