After Babar-Rizwan snub
\nThe left-arm pacer said Babar and Rizwan are world-class but others also deserve a chance
\n SHARJAH
\nLeft-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed his views on the absence of senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan\u2019s squad for the upcoming ACC Men\u2019s Asia Cup 2025, scheduled from September 9 to 28.
\nBabar and Rizwan, who had featured in every multi-nation tournament for Pakistan since the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE, have been sidelined from the shortest format following the three-match away series against South Africa in December last year.
\nThe duo ultimately failed to make it to the Pakistan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup as the former champions shift their focus to grooming youngsters ahead of next year\u2019s T20 World Cup.
\nTheir snub from the continental tournament drew severe backlash from fans and former cricketers, but their teammate Shaheen emphasised backing the youngsters while acknowledging them as \u2018world-class players\u2019.
\n\u201cI won\u2019t be here either in the future. I believe everyone should get the opportunity,\u201d stated Shaheen.
\n\u201cBabar and Rizwan are world-class players, and they played pretty good cricket for Pakistan and by the will of Almighty Allah will play again.
\n\u201cBut again, everyone should get the opportunity, and they should grab it with both hands. They are our youngsters as well, so we should back them. They are also our players, and we should take them forward.\u201d
\nShaheen\u2019s remarks came on the sidelines of the national men\u2019s team\u2019s training session at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here for the tri-nation T20I series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE, which will precede the Asia Cup 2025.
\nThe series will get underway on August 29 and will conclude on September 7, just a day before the commencement of the eight-team continental event.
\nPakistan squad for Tri-Series and Asia Cup 2025:
\nSaim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After Babar-Rizwan snub The left-arm pacer said Babar and Rizwan are world-class but others also deserve a chance SHARJAH Left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi has expressed his views on the absence of senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from Pakistan\u2019s squad for the upcoming ACC Men\u2019s Asia Cup 2025, scheduled from September 9 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":498679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-498662","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n