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Pakistan’s T20I vice-captain Shadab Khan is unlikely to feature in the upcoming ACC Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in the UAE as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury that required surgery earlier this month.
The 26-year-old underwent a successful procedure in the United Kingdom (UK) after sustaining the injury, which had already ruled him out of the recent T20I series against Bangladesh and the upcoming white-ball tour of the West Indies.
According to sources close to the development, Shadab is expected to need at least three months of rehabilitation before he can return to competitive cricket, putting his availability for the September tournament in serious doubt.
Despite his absence, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to announce a replacement vice-captain.
No deputy was named during the Bangladesh series, and the same approach was carried forward for the West Indies tour, where Salman Ali Agha continues to lead the T20I side without an official second-in-command.
There has been no official update from the PCB regarding the recovery timeline or the future availability of Shadab Khan.
Meanwhile, the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) recently unveiled the much-anticipated schedule for the 2025 Asia Cup, which will be played in the T20 format as a preparatory event for next year’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
The eight-team tournament will take place from September 9 to 28 and features two groups of four teams each.
Group A includes India, Pakistan, UAE, and Oman, while Group B consists of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.
Pakistan will open their campaign against Oman on September 12, followed by the marquee clash against India on September 14.
If both arch-rivals qualify for the Super Four stage, another face-off is slated for September 21. The final will take place on September 28.
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