Pakistan has revealed its 16-member squad for the upcoming Emerging Teams Asia Cup, with Mohammad Haris leading the team. The tournament will kick off on October 18 in Oman, and Pakistan Shaheens will face off against India A on October 19, a highly anticipated encounter between the arch-rivals.

The Pakistan squad includes several experienced players who are currently out of the national selection pool, such as Haider Ali, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Imran Jnr, and Shahnawaz Dahani. The team will participate in a preparatory camp in Karachi from October 11 to 15 before heading to Oman for the tournament.

Pakistan Squad for Emerging Teams Asia Cup:

• Mohammad Haris (captain)
• Abdul Samad
• Ahmed Daniyal
• Arafat Minhas
• Haider Ali
• Haseebullah
• Mehran Mumtaz
• Mohammad Abbas Afridi
• Mohammad Imran Jnr
• Omair Bin Yousuf
• Qasim Akram
• Shahnawaz Dahani
• Sufiyan Moqim
• Yasir Khan
• Zaman Khan

Pakistan Shaheens, the defending champions, are placed in Group B along with India A, Oman, and UAE. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals on October 25, with the final scheduled for October 27.

Babar Azam has stepped down as Pakistan’s white-ball captain for the second time in a year, citing feeling disconnected and undervalued as the main reasons for his decision. Following Pakistan’s group-stage exit in the T20 World Cup, speculation grew about Babar’s leadership, and it was reported that he felt increasingly detached from his teammates, contributing to his decision to resign.

The Growing Disconnect

According to Cricket Pakistan, Babar’s growing sense of disconnection with the team after the T20 World Cup played a pivotal role in his resignation. Babar also reportedly felt undervalued, particularly after being reinstated as captain just before the T20 World Cup, following his initial resignation post the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Rizwan as the Likely Successor

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is already in discussions with wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan to take over as the new white-ball captain. It has also been suggested that coach Gary Kirsten wanted Babar to continue leading the ODI side while appointing a new T20I captain. However, Babar reportedly turned down this proposal.

Babar’s Focus on Personal Growth

Babar took to social media platform X to clarify that stepping down from the captaincy was to reduce his workload and focus more on his batting and personal growth. He expressed his commitment to continue contributing to the Pakistan team across all formats.

With Babar stepping down, the debate on Pakistan’s leadership continues, as the team looks for a fresh start ahead of its upcoming tours.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that Mohammad Yousuf has voluntarily resigned from his position as a member of the national selection committee. Yousuf made this decision to focus on other key responsibilities within the PCB.

The PCB expressed its gratitude for Yousuf’s contributions as a selector and emphasized that he will continue to be an integral part of the board. He will serve as the batting coach at the High Performance Centre, bringing his vast experience and knowledge to the role.

Yousuf also recently led the Pakistan U19 team as head coach, guiding them to a third-place finish in the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 held in South Africa.

Babar Azam will continue as captain of the Pakistan Cricket Team for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025, despite recent speculation about a possible leadership change. After a historic Test series loss to Bangladesh, reports emerged suggesting a potential shakeup in the team’s leadership. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed Babar’s captaincy will remain intact until the mega event.

The confirmation came after a meeting in Lahore on September 23, where senior players and coaching staff discussed the team’s future plans. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who attended via video call, addressed the concerns raised by the players, including issues surrounding team security and communication with the board. Naqvi reassured the players that no changes in captaincy are planned and urged them to focus on their performance.

In response to concerns about communication with top officials, the PCB has agreed to establish a two-member independent committee to improve dialogue between the players, management, and board.

A controversy has erupted in Pakistan cricket, with allegations surfacing that Babar Azam was aware of his appointment as the T20I captain well before it was officially announced, despite assurances to Shaheen Afridi that he had no intentions of taking over the role. Babar replaced Shaheen as skipper just before the T20 World Cup, following Afridi’s brief tenure as captain in only one series.

A journalist from Saamna TV claimed that during a training camp at the Army base in Kakul, Babar and Shaheen had a conversation where Babar supposedly reassured the fast bowler that he had no ambitions of becoming the captain. However, the journalist alleged that Babar already knew he would be named as the next skipper. A member of the team management reportedly kept Shaheen in the dark about these developments.

While the journalist initially made strong accusations against Babar, he later backtracked, suggesting that Babar might not have been fully aware of the behind-the-scenes decisions regarding the captaincy change.

This controversy comes as Pakistan grapples with the fallout from their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, where they were knocked out in the group stage, including a shocking loss to the USA. Several former players have voiced their support for Shaheen, criticizing his removal as unjust, while coaches Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie have urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to avoid making sudden captaincy changes.

The ongoing debate raises questions about leadership within the team, with Pakistan cricket once again finding itself in the midst of a captaincy crisis.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has announced the formation of a six-member advisory board to help reform Pakistan cricket. The board will be led by former Pakistan cricketer Waqar Younis. Naqvi emphasized that this move is part of the effort to end the culture of personal likes and dislikes that has affected the game.

Waqar Younis to Lead the Advisory Board

• Advisory Board Details: The new board will include six members with Waqar Younis as the head. This decision comes in light of the various issues plaguing Pakistan cricket, including poor performances in World Cups, disciplinary problems, and allegations of favoritism in team selection.
• PCB Chief’s Statement: Mohsin Naqvi highlighted the need for bringing in former stars to improve the cricket system. “I am bringing in former stars to vet and improve the cricket system and end this culture of personal likes and dislikes,” Naqvi said on Monday.

Recent Developments in Pakistan Cricket

• Post-World Cup Changes: The shakeup in the PCB follows Pakistan’s disappointing performance in the recent ICC T20 World Cup. In response, Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq were removed from their posts as selectors due to controversies surrounding team selection.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has turned down the No Objection Certificate (NOC) requests from star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the upcoming Global T20 Canada. The decision comes amid a packed international schedule for Pakistan cricket.

The PCB cited the busy cricket calendar between August 2024 and March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The board emphasized the need for these players to remain focused and in peak physical condition for the upcoming series.

The Global T20 Canada, scheduled from July 25 to August 11, coincides with Pakistan’s international commitments, including a tour of Bangladesh starting August 21. Following this, Pakistan will face England, Australia, and other teams in a series of important fixtures.

In contrast, players such as Asif Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, and Mohammad Nawaz have been granted NOCs. These players are primarily involved in white-ball formats, and the PCB’s decision reflects its focus on managing workload and maintaining player readiness for key international matches.

Despite Pakistan’s last match against Ireland in Fort Lauderdale, Florida got washed out on Monday, Pakistan can still qualify directly for the 2026 T20 World Cup. India and Sri Lanka will jointly host that World Cup.

Automatic Qualification for 2026

According to the qualifying rules, 12 of the 20 teams will receive automatic qualifications. India and Sri Lanka, as hosts, will be the first two teams on the list. They will gain direct entry into the next edition along with all Super 8 teams from the 2024 T20 World Cup. India, having already qualified for the Super 8s from Group A, meets the requirements. Other teams that have made the Super 8 cut and gained direct entry into the 2026 edition include South Africa (Group D), West Indies and Afghanistan (Group C), Australia (Group B) and the USA (Group A).

Remaining Spots for Super 8

Bangladesh or Netherlands will advance from Group D while Scotland and England are vying for a Super 8 spot from Group B. Including Sri Lanka, there will be nine teams, and three more teams will join them based on the highest-ranked teams as per the ICC Men’s T20I rankings on June 30, 2024.

Pakistan’s Ranking

Pakistan is currently seventh with 241 rating points in the latest T20I rankings, while New Zealand, who also had an early exit, are sixth with 247 points. These two sides are well ahead of teams like Bangladesh (9th with 226 points), Ireland (11th with 195 points), Scotland (12th with 192 points), Zimbabwe (13th with 192 points), Namibia (14th with 189 points), Netherlands (15th with 185 points), UAE (16th with 176 points), Nepal (18th with 170 points), Oman (19th with 163 points), PNG (20th with 145 points), Uganda (21st with 135 points), Hong Kong (22nd with 135 points) and Canada (23rd with 129 points).

Regional Qualification Pathway

The remaining eight teams will be determined through the ICC’s regional qualification pathway. Two each will be filled through regional qualification processes of Europe, Asia and Africa, with one each from the East Asia Pacific and Americas regions.

The eight teams that came through pathway processes in this edition were Ireland and Scotland (Europe), Nepal and Oman (Asia), Namibia and Uganda (Africa), Canada (Americas) and Papua New Guinea (East Asia Pacific). The USA gained entry by being the joint hosts.

The United States has made history by advancing to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. The crucial USA vs. Ireland match was called off without a ball being bowled, securing the USA’s spot in the next round. This makes them the first associate team to reach this stage in their debut T20 World Cup.

For Pakistan, the cancellation of the match means an abrupt end to their tournament journey. They are now knocked out and will need to compete in qualifiers to secure a place in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the USA and Afghanistan, along with six other teams in the Super 8, will gain direct entry to the next T20 World Cup.

As soon as the news of the USA’s qualification and Pakistan’s elimination was confirmed, the internet exploded with memes. Here are a few:

Congratulations Pakistan you are successfully qualified for the Karachi station 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/SoHQcqA9PZ

— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) June 14, 2024

Pakistan Team and Babar Azam qualified for Karachi Airport, everyone welcome be like 😅

– Kings Kar lega in T20 World Cup.
– Babar Azam Ghante Ka King
– Qudrat ka nizam can't work
– 150+ pace factory#USAvIRE #USAvsIRE #BabarAzam#T20IWorldCup2024 #PakistanCricket pic.twitter.com/T8BivEa4bZ

— Ashutosh Srivastava 🇮🇳 (@sri_ashutosh08) June 14, 2024

Pakistan Team and Babar Azam qualified for Karachi Airport

– Babar Azam Ghante Ka King
– Qudrat ka nizam can't work
– 150+ pace factory failed
– Zimbu exposed again in ICC tournament #USAvIRE #PakistanCricketpic.twitter.com/R35SspXbOl

— Groot 🚩 (@IAmGrootX18) June 14, 2024

Pakistan team qualified for Karachi airport.😩🤣#USAvsIRE pic.twitter.com/Wx1hIpSgZK

— Fatima Ayoubi 🇦🇫🕊 (@FatimaAyoubi005) June 14, 2024