Asia Cup 2025: Things are falling in place for Pakistan, captain Agha says

Dubai: Following Pakistan’s triumph in the recent Tri-Nation Series, where they outclassed Afghanistan in the final, T20I captain Salman Ali Agha believes the team is peaking at the right moment ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE. Pakistan open their Asia Cup campaign against Oman on Friday.

“It’s been good — we’re playing some really good cricket,” Salman said at a press conference in Dubai on Tuesday. “In the last four months, we’ve won three out of four series, which shows our progress as a unit. As a team, we’re very excited because for many of us, this will be our first major tournament of this scale.”

Pakistan have shown strong consistency in recent months, winning 10 of their last 14 matches, including the Tri-Nation Series, despite the absence of star players Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam. The pair, Pakistan’s most prolific T20I opening duo but often criticized for their measured scoring rate, have been sidelined since December. With Mike Hesson taking over as white-ball head coach, speculation continues around their potential comeback.

Salman, however, emphasised the team’s focus on the present. “We’re playing good cricket as a group and looking forward to the Asia Cup. Everyone is excited. In T20Is, there are no real favourites — one or two overs can change the entire game,” he said.

Reflecting on the Tri-Nation Series, he added: “That tournament was part of our preparation for the Asia Cup. The aim was to win, and thankfully we did. But even if we hadn’t, our mindset would still be to come here and play quality cricket.”