It seems Pakistan‘s cricket team is facing some tough times. At a recent press conference before the UAE T20I Tri-Series leading up to the 2025 Asia Cup, a Pakistani journalist said that Afghanistan is the second-best team in Asia, only behind India. This happened right in front of Pakistan’s captain, Salman Ali Agha.
India, who won the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, is considered the favorite for the upcoming Asia Cup. This competition will be Suryakumar Yadav’s first time leading India in a big tournament with multiple teams.
The UAE is set to host the Asia Cup 2025, though India technically has the hosting rights. They chose a hybrid model because of an agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made before the Champions Trophy. India played all their Champions Trophy matches in the UAE and ended up winning the tournament in 2025.
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Before the tri-series started, the captains of the three teams – Salman Ali Agha for Pakistan, Muhammed Waseem for UAE, and Rashid Khan for Afghanistan – attended a press event. These three are likely to be the captains during the Asia Cup 2025 as well, even though the UAE hasn’t announced its squad yet. During the press conference, a reporter suggested that Afghanistan is the second-most favored team for the Asia Cup.
The reporter stated that Afghanistan has been playing really well lately and is considered Asia’s second-best team. Salman Agha, the Pakistani captain, was visibly surprised and gave a sarcastic smile, hinting that he was not happy with the diminished reputation of Pakistan’s cricket team.
The Tri-Series is a warm-up for the Asia Cup in the UAE. Pakistan changed its plans to host Afghanistan for a bilateral series and instead suggested having a tri-series in the UAE with all three countries. This series is intended as practice for Pakistan before they compete in the Asia Cup, where they will play against India, the UAE, and Oman.
The tri-series is scheduled to start on August 29th and will end with the final match on September 7th. The series starts with a game between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Many cricket fans think that Afghanistan, given their recent strong performances, is now the second-best team in Asia. Pakistan and Sri Lanka haven’t been very convincing lately, especially in major ICC events. Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of the last T20 World Cup and has won big matches against strong teams like Australia and New Zealand. Some experts, like former Pakistani player Basit Ali, believe Sri Lanka is the second-most favored team after India. This leaves Pakistan out of the conversation as a top contender for the Asia Cup 2025.
