The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced a 17-member national squad for the tri-nation T20 series and the Asia Cup.

Head coach Mike Hesson and chief selector Aqib Javed made the official announcement at a press conference in Lahore.

Senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not part of the squad. The team will be led by all-rounder Salman Agha, who will captain the national team for the first time in a major tournament.

The selected players include Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hassan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Muhammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Nawaz, Muhammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Safyan Muqeem.

According to the selection committee, the squad consists of a mix of young and senior players to inject new energy into the team on the field.

Selector Aqib Javed said that Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan can come back after performing well in domestic cricket.

Responding to a question, he said all eyes are on the Pakistan-India match, adding that the current team has the ability to defeat India.

The announcement came as a surprise for cricket fans, as for the first time in several years, big names like Babar Azam and Rizwan will not be part of the team for a major event.