Pakistan will head into the upcoming Asia Cup and tri-nation T20 series in the UAE without star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Sunday.

All-rounder Salman Agha has been handed the captaincy for the tournament, which begins with a tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE on August 29, followed by the Asia Cup starting September 9.

Babar and Rizwan, who have been central to Pakistan’s T20 setup in recent years, have not featured in the format since December. Head coach Mike Hesson explained the decision, noting that while both remain key players, the current squad members have been delivering strong performances.

“We know what a fine player Babar is,” Hesson said at a press conference. “He has been asked to improve in certain areas, such as handling spin and increasing his strike rate. He is working hard on those aspects. For now, the players in the squad are making a positive impact, and we want to keep that momentum.”

Since Hesson took charge in May, Pakistan have enjoyed mixed results: a 3-0 home series win, a 2-1 loss away to Bangladesh, and a 2-1 victory against the West Indies in the United States. The coach said the current focus is on building towards success in the upcoming competitions.

“Our aim is to win the tri-series and the Asia Cup,” Hesson added. “We want the team to peak in these pinnacle events.”

The squad includes the return of fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim and Salman Mirza, with Mirza back after his seven-wicket haul in Bangladesh earlier this year. Fakhar Zaman also rejoins the team following an injury that kept him out of the recent ODI series in the West Indies, which Pakistan lost 2-1.

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

Afghanistan has not yet named its squad for the series or the Asia Cup.