ISLAMABAD: As the Asia Cup 2025 edges closer, Pakistan’s cricket squad is finding rhythm not only in the nets but also in the rituals that shape life off the field.
At Camp Green, evenings can drift from Allama Iqbal verses quoted by captain Salman Ali Agha to bursts of laughter at dinner tables. Fast bowlers obsess over recovery in Gulf heat, younger batters follow nutrition plans to the gram, and occasional pasta cravings break the monotony. Beyond the yorkers and powerplays, Pakistan’s campaign is being written in food, fitness and the easy camaraderie of teammates who know how to work—and how to unwind.
When Pakistan named their Asia Cup 2025 T20 squad with Salman Ali Agha as captain—alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Saim Ayub, and others—the headlines focused on selections and roles. But tournament life is also about the quieter rhythms: what they eat, how they recover, where they unwind, and how the group gels when the floodlights are off.
A captain who quotes Iqbal—and teases his teammates
Salman Ali Agha has emerged as a relaxed, thoughtful leader with a playful streak. In a July sit-down, he revealed a hidden love for poetry, even quoting Allama Iqbal; in the same breath, he gamified the dressing room, “casting” squad-mates in imaginary film roles and joking that Saim Ayub is the one who “can’t handle hunger,” while Hasan Ali is the natural comedian and Fakhar Zaman the singer.
That easy humour—rooted in nicknames and gentle pranks—mirrors how Pakistan’s modern teams often build cohesion on tour dinners and short post-training hangouts. Salman’s cricketing north star is classical too: he has said he still studies Mohammad Yousuf’s technique, a nod to craft over flash.
Protein, recovery, repeat
If the captain brings calm, the pace cartel brings decibels—and strict routines. Haris Rauf has been disarmingly open about a bulking phase that, at one point, included a startling “24 eggs a day” diet prescribed during his rapid rise—an extreme that grabbed headlines and speaks to just how granular elite players can get about fueling.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, meanwhile, has discussed the grind of injury and the discipline needed to manage workload: ice, physio, bowling loads, and the mental resets that come with rehab and return.
For quicks operating in Gulf heat, recovery is almost a second job—contrast showers, mobility work, hydration protocols, and early nights between back-to-back fixtures.
Hasan Ali’s personality is writ large in his cricket—and yes, in that celebration. He has explained the origin story multiple times (and occasionally paid a rib-sore price for it in county stints), but what stands out now is the self-aware showman who can switch from “generator” theatrics to wisecracking teammate at dinner.
What is on the plate
Touring UAE, Pakistani cricketers typically lean toward clean proteins and familiar carbs: grilled meats and rice, lentils, chapati/roti, salads, and fruit, with electrolytes on heavy training days. When cheat-meal chatter surfaces, Fakhar Zaman—top-order tone-setter—has admitted a weakness for cheesy pasta, though he has also framed himself as a generally strict eater.
Younger batters like Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris are part of a generation that has grown up with team nutritionists; their plates are typically periodized around sessions: pre-training light carbs, post-training protein, and steady hydration.
Little windows into personality
Pakistan squads thrive on small rituals. Hasan Ali’s celebration is one.
Salman’s love of poetry is another—an unusual, almost old-school anchor in a format obsessed with speed.
Fakhar’s Navy background gives him a reputation for stoicism; his interviews often cut spare and practical, focused on roles and execution.
Shaheen’s social clips show him happiest in nets or gym—short, upbeat bursts that underline how much he enjoys the process as much as the product.
And Haris, whose sprint from tape-ball circuits to global T20s still feels fresh, has leaned into professionalism with a zeal that makes even his diet part of the story.
How they interact—with each other and opponents
The current group reads as fraternal: seniors rib juniors, juniors soak up micro-lessons—bat grips from Fakhar, field placements debated with Salman, recovery tips traded between Shaheen, Haris and Hasan. Salman’s “casting call” anecdote works because it rests on real comfort; you can only poke fun at hunger, singing and stand-up if the room is secure.
With opponents, Pakistan’s players tend to be cordial off-field (the UAE circuit is a social hub where PSL, ILT20 and franchise friendships overlap), then spiky for 40 overs, and back to smiles at the rope afterward.
The bigger picture
Strip away the noise and you see a professional touring machine: nutritionists counting macros; trainers timing sprints; analysts queuing up clips for batters like Fakhar and all-rounders like Faheem Ashraf; wicketkeeper Mohammad Haris running agility ladders; spinners such as Mohammad Nawaz fine-tuning defensive lines for death overs.
The romance is in the fringe details: poetry scribbled in a note’s app, a pasta bowl on a rare off-night, a laugh that breaks the monotony of hotel corridors, a selfie at sunset on the Marina. The Asia Cup will be decided by yorkers and power-plays, but the story of Pakistan’s campaign will also be written in menus and the easy banter of a group that knows how to work—and how to be around each other.
