Babar Azam, once considered to be Pakistan’s go-to man in T20Is and a former world no. 1 in the format has now found himself on the sidelines. Just 15 months after being reinstated as Pakistan’s T20I captain for the 2024 World Cup in West Indies, Babar has now been left out of the squad for Asia Cup 2025.
The selectors opted to not include him in the 17-man squad for the Asia Cup, which is scheduled to be held in UAE from September 9 to 28. Following his omission, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson addressed the decision publicly and revealed that he has been asked to work on two crucial areas - his strike rate and against spin bowling. Hesson also pointed out that his participation in the Big Bash League (BBL) can serve as a potential pathway for a T20I comeback.
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“There’s no doubt Babar has been asked to improve in some areas, particularly against spin and in terms of his strike-rate. Those are aspects I know he’s working very hard on at the moment,” Mike Hesson said in press conference
“A player like Babar also has the opportunity to play in the BBL and showcase improvements in those areas of T20 cricket. He’s simply too good a player for us not to consider.”
Babar's most recent outing in a T20I was in December 2024, and although he did show some glimpses of form during the 2025 PSL but his more recent ODI form hasn't been convincing either. During the ODI series against the West Indies, he scored 47, 0, and 9 in three games.