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DUBAI: Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha brushed aside suggestions of toning down emotions when his side faces India in the Asia Cup 2025, saying he doesn’t believe in curbing aggression on the field.

With the highly anticipated Pakistan–India clash always carrying extra pressure, Agha was asked if he had given his players any special instructions to control their temper.

“Aggression is part of the game. Every player is different in how they express it,” he said during the captain’s press conference.

“Fast bowlers are usually hot-headed, and if they want to be aggressive, they should be. That’s the fun of cricket. I don’t give any special instructions to hide or avoid aggression, as long as it remains within the ground,” he added.

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Pakistan came into the Asia Cup having recently won the tri-series in the UAE with Afghanistan and the hosts, something Salman Ali Agha believes was key preparation for the continental tournament.

“This is an important event for us. We’ve been playing good cricket for the past few months, and this is the first major tournament for many of our players. We’re excited, and our main goal is to win the Asia Cup,” he added.

“In this format, the game can change in one or two overs. That’s why no team can be considered a favorite.”

READ: Shreyas Iyer breaks silence on Asia Cup 2025 snub

The ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 is right around the corner, with all the participating teams having announced their squads.

The continental tournament is set to take place across two venues, Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium, in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

Abu Dhabi will stage eight matches, including one Super Four clash on September 23, while Dubai will host the majority of the games, including both high-voltage Pakistan-India clashes if the two sides progress beyond the group stage.

All matches will begin at 6 PM Gulf Standard Time, barring the September 15 fixture between the UAE and Oman.

The curtain raiser of the Asia Cup 2025 will be played between Hong Kong and Afghanistan.

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The eight teams are divided into two groups, with Group A featuring arch-rivals Pakistan and India alongside Oman and the UAE. Group B includes Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Hong Kong.

Squads for Asia Cup 2025

Group A

Pakistan: Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

India: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.

Oman: Jatinder Singh (captain), Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla, Sufyan Yousuf, Ashish Odedera, Aamir Kaleem, Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood, Aryan Bisht, Karan Sonavale, Zikriya Islam, Hassnain Ali Shah, Faisal Shah, Mohammad Imran, Nadeem Khan, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava.

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (captain), Alishan Sharafu, Aryansh Sharma (wk), Asif Khan, Dhruv Parashar, Ethan D’Souza, Haider Ali, Harshit Kaushik, Junaid Siddique, Matiullah Khan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Zohaib, Rahul Chopra (wk), Rohid Khan, Simranjeet Singh, Saghir Khan.

Group B 

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan (capt), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fareed Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Bangladesh: Litton Das (capt, wk), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Towhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali, Shamim Hossain, Nurul Hasan, Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Mohammad Saifuddin

Hong Kong: Yasim Murtaza (C), Babar Hayat (VC), Zeeshan Ali (WK), Shahid Wasif (WK), Niazakat Khan Mohammad, Nasrulla Rana, Martin Coetzee, Anshuman Rath, Ehsan Khan, Kalhan Marc Challu, Ayush Ashish Shukla, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Ateeq Ul Rehman Iqbal, Kinchit Shah, Adil Mehmood, Anas Khan, Haroon Mohammad Arshad, Ali-Hassan, Ghazanfar Mohammad, Mohammad Waheed

Sri Lanka: Charith Asalanka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Nuwanidu Fernando, Kamindu Mendis, Kamil Mishara, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Dunith Wellalage, Chamika Karunaratne, Maheesh Theekshana, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana.

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SHARJAH: Pakistan men’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has shared his thoughts on the national team’s recent performances in the build-up to the ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025, slated to commence tomorrow.

Pakistan is coming off a tri-series final triumph over Afghanistan, proving a timely confidence booster for the team ahead of the continental tournament.

Mike Hesson praised Pakistan team performances and expressed confidence during a preview session on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) YouTube channel.

“I’m pleased with the way the team is progressing. I think we’re not the finished product yet, but to win, 10 out of 14 games is a good start,” Hesson stated.

“It took us a heck of a long time to win 10 games leading up to this. We’ve beaten Afghanistan and conditions that certainly suit their spin attack. So that was uh a confidence builder for the group and to win a final where there’s a bit of
pressure on the line,” he added.

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The 50-year-old highlighted the progress of the newly built team and their adaptability in the tri-series.

“We are still a developing side, not yet the finished product, but the progress is encouraging. One of the important aspects of the Tri-Series was adapting to four different pitches,” Hesson elaborated.

He further lauded Fakhar Zaman’s and Mohammad Nawaz’s vital contributions for the Pakistan team in the tri-series.

“Fakhar has steadily improved throughout the tri-series, gaining confidence after coming back from injury. His 77 not out was an important knock, not just for him but for the team as well, given the lack of top-order experience.

Mohammad Nawaz, meanwhile, has been exceptional. He has been outstanding with bat, ball, and in the field. Statistically, he is the best-performing T20 bowler in world cricket this year, and he has added power-hitting value at number six or seven, ” Hesson said.

Mike Hesson emphasized the Asia Cup 2025 and team goals, noting that their first goal is to qualify for the next round.

“The key for us is to stay focused on one game at a time, without letting external pressures affect concentration. The goal is first to qualify for the Super Four, then to play consistently well to progress further. If we continue to focus on each match, we’ll give ourselves the best chance of success,” he concluded.

READ: Match officials for Asia Cup 2025 group stage fixtures revealed

DUBAI: The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) on Monday revealed the match officials for the Asia Cup 2025 group stage fixtures, which are set to commence tomorrow in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Experienced match referees Richie Richardson and Andy Pycroft will take charge of the official team in the marquee event. The opening match of the event will be played between Afghanistan and Hong Kong China at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

The match officials’ list for the Super Four and the tournament final will be announced later.

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For the event’s blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan, Ruchira Palliyaguruge and Masudur Rahman will officiate the match as on-field umpires, whereas Ahmad Pakteen and Izatullah Safi will hold the responsibilities of TV umpire.

Any Pycroft will serve as the match referee for the summit clash of the event.

For the unversed, this year’s Asia Cup, the 15th edition of the men’s event, will be staged in the T20 format with eight participating nations: Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, UAE, and Hong Kong.

Pakistan and India headline Group A alongside hosts UAE and Oman, while Group B includes Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong.

Match Officials For Asia Cup 2025 Group Stage Fixtures:

Umpires: Ahmad Pakteen, Asif Yaqoob, Faisal Afridi, Gazi Sohel, Izatullah Safi, Masudur Rahman, Raveendra Wimalasiri, Rohan Pandit, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, and Virender Sharma.

Match referees: Andrew Pycroft,Richie Richardson

READ: Nawaz demolishes Afghanistan as Pakistan clinch tri-series title

SHARJAH: Mohammad Nawaz’s fiery five-fer, including a hat-trick, rattled Afghanistan as Pakistan secured the tri-series title at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

Set 142, Afghanistan crumbled under pressure and were bundled out for just 66 runs in 15.5 overs.

Afghanistan had a similar start to Pakistan as they lost their opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5) in the opening over.

The next wicket came on the fourth ball of the fourth over as Sediqullah Atal (13) was caught by Faheem Ashraf. The wicket, however, sparked a massive collapse that Afghanistan could not recover from.

With Mohammad Nawaz’s introduction into the attack in the last over of the powerplay, things got ominous for Afghanistan. He first removed Darwish Rasooli for nought and then Azmatullah Omarzai (0) to put Pakistan in a commanding position.

Furthermore, he sent Ibrahim Zadran (9) packing on the first ball of the next over to bag a hat-trick. As a result, Afghanistan were 32-5 in 7.1 overs.

Afghanistan continued to lose wickets with no major contribution from the middle order, which eventually handed Pakistan a comprehensive victory.

For Pakistan, Mohammad Nawaz remained the standout bowler, taking five wickets, whereas Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem picked up two wickets each.

Earlier, Rashid Khan’s three-wicket haul restricted Pakistan to 141-8.

After opting to bat, Pakistan put on a shambolic batting display and could only manage to score 141 for 8 in their 20 overs.

Afghanistan put Pakistan under pressure right from the start as out-of-form Sahibzada Farhan was castled on the third ball of the opening over.

Following an early wicket, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman tried to rebuild after a slow start. Both batters batted cautiously until the last ball of the eighth over.

As soon as Noor Ahmed and Rashid Khan came to bowl, Pakistan batters looked in trouble. Both bowled in tandem and halted Pakistan’s progress.

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Saim Ayub was the first to go, caught after making 17 off 19 balls with the help of two fours, and on the very first ball of the eighth over, Zaman, who made 27 off 26 balls, was trapped in front.\

As a result, Green Shirts were reduced to 51-3 in 8.2 overs.

Afghanistan continued to take wickets and put pressure on Pakistan with economical bowling. Hasan Nawaz was caught after hitting a six in Rashid’s over, whereas wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris was cleaned up by Noor Ahmed.

Pakistan tried to break the shackles in the second half of the innings, with Mohammad Nawaz pressing the paddle with a 25-run knock. He hit two sixes in his crucial innings before getting dismissed on the second ball of the final over.

Yet, Pakistan managed to post a below-par score courtesy of fine bowling from Afghanistan.

For Afghanistan, Rashid Khan picked up three wickets, whereas Noor Ahmed and Fazalhaq Farooqi were equally good with two wickets each.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz

READ: Mishara’s maiden half-century seals T20I series for Sri Lanka

SHARJAH: Pakistan have won the toss and elected to bat first against Afghanistan in the final of the tri-series here at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

In the opening match of the tri-series, Pakistan comprehensively defeated Afghanistan by 39 runs, primarily due to a powerful batting display.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan made a strong comeback in their second outing, defeating the Green Shirts by 19 runs, courtesy of a strong bowling performance.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Darwish Rasooli, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan (c), Mohammad Nabi, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi

Pakistan: Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (c), Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Both teams have faced each other in nine T20I matches so far. In this competitive rivalry, Pakistan holds a narrow edge with five victories, while Afghanistan has notched four wins.

Matches 9, Pakistan 5, Afghanistan 4

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has revealed the schedule for the home T20I tri-series, involving Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

The series has been organised to provide all teams with valuable preparation ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, to be staged in India and Sri Lanka.

The tri-series will begin on 17 November with Pakistan taking on Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

This will be Afghanistan’s first-ever T20I in Pakistan, having earlier played five ODIs in the country, the last of which was against Australia during ICC Champions Trophy in February this year.

On 19 November, Sri Lanka will face Afghanistan at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the remaining five T20Is of the tri-series, including the final on 29 November will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Earlier, in October/November, Pakistan will host South Africa for a two-match Test series – part of ICC World Test Championship 2025-27, as well as three T20Is and three ODIs from 12 October to 8 November.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed:

“We look forward to hosting Sri Lanka and Afghanistan for Pakistan’s maiden T20I tri-series. This event will not only offer excellent preparation for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but also present fans with exciting cricket across venues.

“Earlier this year, PCB successfully delivered the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier. These achievements underline our capacity and readiness to host back-to-back international events at the highest level.”

Tri-Series T20I Tournament (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka)

• 17 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 19 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 22 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 23 November – Pakistan v Afghanistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 25 November – Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 27 November – Pakistan v Sri Lanka, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 29 November –Final, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

READ: BCCI clarifies stance on India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 clash

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has officially announced the schedule for the all-format home series against South Africa.

Pakistan’s first match of the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 will begin on 12 October, when they host defending champions South Africa at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Notably, this will be the first five-day match at the stadium since it’s complete renovation earlier this year to host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The second Test match is scheduled to take place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium from 20 to 24 October.

This will be South Africa’s first Test tour to Pakistan since January 2021, when they lost a two-Test match series 2-0 to the hosts.

After the Tests, the focus will shift to white-ball cricket. Both sides will feature in three T20Is from 28 October to 1 November, with the first T20I taking place at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, while the remaining two T20Is will be hosted at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The series will conclude with three ODIs taking place from 4 to 8 November at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

This will be the first ODI at the stadium in 17 years, with Pakistan having beaten Bangladesh by seven wickets at the venue on 11 April 2008.

PCB Chief Operating Officer Sumair Ahmed Syed:

“We are looking forward to welcome South Africa for the opening series of our ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 campaign. Starting the new cycle against the current Test champions will provide quality cricket for our players and fans.

“The return of ODI cricket to Faisalabad after 17 years is a special moment. Iqbal Stadium holds a proud place in our cricketing history and we are excited to bring international cricket back to this part of the country.”

Schedule of Pakistan-South Africa series

• 12-16 October – First Test at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 20-24 October – Second Test at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 28 October – First T20I at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
• 31 October – Second T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 1 November – Third T20I at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
• 4 November – First ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
• 6 November – Second ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
• 8 November – Third ODI at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad

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SHARJAH: Asif Khan’s 40 off 28 went in vain as Fareed Ahmad held his nerve in the last over to seal a four-run victory for Afghanistan over UAE in the T20I tri-series here at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Set 171, UAE fell short of the target, scoring 166-5 in their 20 overs.

UAE started briskly in the chase with openers putting on a 65-run stand in seven overs. Muhammad Waseem, who made 44 off 29, remained the core aggressor while Alishan Sharafu played the second fiddle.

Noor Ahmed provided Afghanistan the much-needed breakthrough as the stand culminated with Sharafu’s wicket, who departed after making 27 off 23 balls.

UAE continued to bat steadily until Waseem’s wicket in the 10th over, which opened the door for Afghanistan. After his wicket, the visitors continued to strike at regular intervals.

With UAE 113-4 in 14.3 overs, Asif Khan paired up with Harshit Kaushik to give their team a glimmer of hope. The duo added 53 runs for the sixth wicket, eventually UAE requiring 17 off the last over.

However, Fareed Ahmad, who bowled the last over, held his nerve under pressure after going for a four and six off the first two balls. Asif sliced the third ball off over to leave the equation five required from three deliveries.

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Fareed came back with two great yorkers and eventually got rid of Asif Khan on the last ball to seal a thrilling win for his team.

Asif Khan hit two maximums and four boundaries on his way to 40 from 28 balls.

For Afghanistan, it was an all-round bowling effort with Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, and Abdollah Ahmadzai picking up one wicket each. However, Sharafuddin Ashraf stood out, conceding just 20 runs in four overs and picking up a wicket.

Earlier, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran’s strong opening partnership propelled Afghanistan to a strong total.

Opting to bat first, Afghanistan amassed 170-4 in their allocated 20 overs.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran paired up to put on a 98-run stand in 11 overs. Both batters batted cautiously, particularly the former, picking up some form after having a lean run in the opening three matches.

However, UAE made a comeback with wickets on successive balls to send back both the openers. Gurbaz was the first to go after making 40 off 38 balls with the help of three fours and a six.

Ibrahim Zadran was castled by Haider Ali on the first ball of the 12th over, to halt Afghanistan’s progress.

The stand-in captain continued his good form with 48 off 35 balls, an innings which featured three sixes and fours.

Despite, UAE taking wickets at regular intervals in the latter half of the innings, Afghanistan managed to post a strong score.

For UAE, Haider Ali remained the pick of the bowlers, taking two wickets in his four overs and only giving away 22 runs.

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SHARJAH: Afghanistan have won the toss and opted to bat first against UAE in the sixth fixture of the T20I tri-series here at the iconic Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Playing XIs

Afghanistan: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), Ibrahim Zadran (c), Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman, Fareed Ahmad Malik, Abdullah Ahmadzai

UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Harshit Kaushik, Haider Ali, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Rohid, Junaid Siddique, Simranjeet Singh

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD:

Both teams have faced each other 13 times in T20Is. Afghanistan leads with 10 victories, while the UAE have managed to win only three games.

Matches 13, UAE 3, Afghanistan 10

The ongoing tri-series serves as a launching pad for the teams to prepare for and acclimatise to the conditions ahead of the eight-team ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup, scheduled to take place in the UAE from 9 to 28 September.

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