Sports
PCB chairman denies role in Babar, Rizwan’s Asia Cup 2025 snub
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has distanced himself from the decision to exclude top players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the national squad for the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025.
“First of all, I don’t have a 1% role in selecting or dropping anyone. We have a selection committee and advisory body; they sit together and hold several lengthy meetings [to select the team],” said Naqvi while talking to the media in Lahore.
Babar and Rizwan, who represented Pakistan in every multi-lateral tournament since the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have been out of favour in the shortest format since the three-match away series against South Africa in December last year.
The duo ultimately failed to make it to the Pakistan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup as the former champions shift their focus to grooming youngsters ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Their snub from the continental tournament drew severe backlash from fans and has been the point of debate among cricket pundits since the announcement of the Pakistan squad.
Naqvi, who presided over the cricket board’s 80th Board of Governors (BoG) meeting earlier today, reiterated that the national teams are selected solely on merit by the selection committee and advisors, denying his involvement in the process.
“Definitely, if they are selecting a team, so I have full faith in them. They are professional, and I instructed them to make the decisions on merit.
“Rest, whatever the lot was available, we polished them and carried forward, and by the will of Almighty Allah, our strive would be to further explore young talent so that the competition grows.”
When asked about wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan’s future as Pakistan’s ODI captain, Naqvi said: “Selectors will make a decision. Head coach has submitted his report after our last contested ODI.”
“We are going through it, and after mutual consultation, whatever is decided will be conveyed,” he added.
Rizwan, who was appointed Pakistan’s white-ball captain in October 2024, succeeding star batter Babar Azam, had a dream start to his tenure as the national team won three consecutive bilateral series, including historic triumphs away against Australia and South Africa.
The national team’s performance under Rizwan’s captaincy, however, deteriorated significantly as they lost the tri-nation series against South Africa and New Zealand before suffering a group-stage exit from the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 in home conditions.
Pakistan squad for Tri-series and Asia Cup 2025
Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (WK), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem.
After wrapping up its inaugural season, the Athletes Unlimited Softball League is expanding from its original four teams to six. That expansion kicks off on Dec. 1, with an expansion draft for players already in the AUSL, followed by an allocation draft for new players.
The two new expansion teams — Cascade and Oklahoma City Spark — will pick from a pool of unprotected players from the other four teams. Each team will select five players to start. After that, there may be up to three additional rounds, and original teams can add a player to their protected lists before each round. Any unselected players will go back to their original teams.
The allocation draft will follow and will feature all six teams selecting players not currently on an AUSL roster.
The draft will be broadcast on ESPNU (7 p.m. ET) and on the AUSL streaming hub. Check out the picks and some highlights below.
Expansion draft picks
No. 1: Spark — Utility Maya Brady
the moment Maya Brady became the first EVER draft pick of the Oklahoma City Spark in AUSL history! 💙#BeTheSpark pic.twitter.com/WT89vK28xX
— Oklahoma City Spark | AUSL (@ausl_spark) December 2, 2025
No. 2: Cascade — Pitcher Sam Landry
Let’s make some history ✨ pic.twitter.com/ycVUaHBtRX
— Cascade | AUSL (@AUSL_Cascade) December 2, 2025
No. 3: Cascade — Pitcher Carley Hoover
No. 4: Spark — Utility Sydney McKinney
No. 5: Spark — Sydney Romero
No. 6: Cascade — OF Sierra Sacco
No. 7: Cascade — P Payton Gottshall
No. 8: Spark — 3B Jessi Warren
No. 9: Spark — P Alana Vawter
No. 10: Cascade — OF Korbe Otis
No. 11: Cascade — INF Tori Vidales
No. 12: Spark — Utility Bubba Nickles-Camarena
No. 13: Spark — INF Delanie Wisz
Allocation draft picks
Round 1
No. 1: Cascade — P Kelly Maxwell
No. 2: Spark — C Kinzie Hansen
No. 3: Talons — OF Jayda Coleman
No. 4: Bandits — P Kat Sandercock
No. 5: Blaze — INF Alyssa Brito
No. 6: Volts — P Ally Carda
Round 2
No. 7: Spark — P Maddie Penta
No. 8: Cascade — C Mia Davidson
No. 9: Talons — OF Jadelyn Allchin
No. 10: Bandits — INF Jocelyn Alo
IT’S HAPPENINGGGGGG 🤩
Jocelyn Alo is a Bandit 🤠 pic.twitter.com/z6jD7ZORQJ
— Bandits | Athletes Unlimited Softball League (@AUSL_Bandits) December 2, 2025
No. 11: Blaze — INF Jenna Laird
No. 12: Volts — P Alyssa Denham
Round 3
No. 13. Cascade — INF Sis Bates
No. 14. Spark — P Jailyn Ford
No. 15. Talons — INF Rachel Becker
No. 16. Bandits — OF Jessica Clements
No. 17. Blaze — P Jala Wright
No. 18. Volts — OF Rylie Boone
Round 4
No. 19. Spark — INF Billie Andrews
No. 20. Cascade — INF Paige Sinicki
No. 21. Talons — INF Maddie Moore
No. 22. Bandits — INF Sami Williams
No. 23. Blaze — Utility Valerie Cagle
No. 24. Volts — P Aliyah Binford
Round 5
No. 25. Cascade — Utility Ali Newland
No. 26. Spark — INF Sydney Sherrill
No. 27. Talons — OF Aliyah Andrews
No. 28. Bandits — P Emiley Kennedy
No. 29. Blaze — Pass
Round 6
No. 30. Spark — C Haley Lee
No. 31. Cascade — OF Kendra Falby
No. 32. Talons — Pass
No. 33. Bandits — Pass
Round 7
No. 34. Spark — Pass
No. 35. Cascade — Pass
Teams will fill their remaining roster spots at the AUSL College Draft this spring.
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Athletes Unlimited Softball League: Expansion and allocation draft
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