The Pakistan Cricket Board is set to announce its squad for the upcoming T20I Tri-Nation Series and the Asia Cup 2025. However, despite the injury of experienced opener Fakhar Zaman, there has been no official discussion within the selection committee about Babar Azam’s possible return to the national team.
Fakhar has been excluded from the remaining Caribbean tour after lifting a hamstring injury during a recent T20I series against the West Indies. Left -handed batsmen missed the final T20I and will not be part of the ODI series, speculating on social media about Babar’s inclusion.
Pakistan selectors are reluctant to bring back Babar Azam ahead of Asia Cup 2025
According to a report by CRICKETPAKISTAN.com, the selectors of Pakistan are reluctant to bring back senior players beyond the Asia Cup. The selection committee has confirmed that there has been no discussion about the inclusion of Babar Azam, and the availability of Fakhar Zaman for the incident remains uncertain.
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The report said, “Sources within the selection committee have said that no formal discussion has been held on the matter yet, and Fakhar’s unavailability for the tournament is not confirmed at this point.”
Babur last depicted in a T20I in December 2024. He has a minor record in the Asia Cup T20 format, with just 68 runs in six matches at an average of 11.33. The upcoming Tri-Nation series and the squad for the Asia Cup are expected to be announced in the second week of August.
Babur Azam can return to T20 squad if Fakhar Zaman is unavailable
The report said that Babar Azam can return to the T20 squad if Fakhar Zaman is unavailable. The selection committee will assess the situation in a review meeting after the West Indies tour.
While the door is not closed on Babur, the board is currently giving priority to a young-centered team and is cautious to disrupt the dynamics of the team. Babur’s inclusion can also put pressure on the current T20I captain Salman Ali Aga.
The report stated, “According to a PCB official, the T20 squad’s door is open to Babur, and if Fakhar is not available, his return can be considered,” the report can be said in the report.
PCB T20 World Cup focuses on youth after being disappointing 2024
Babar Azam has scored just 236 runs in his last 10 T20I matches at an average of 26, without recording one fifty. He last captained the Pakistan T20I team during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pakistan had a disappointing campaign, which inspired the PCB to focus their attention towards developing young players.
However, some people in Pakistan believe that Babur’s experience may be important in high pressure matches, especially against India in the Asia Cup.
Salman Ali Aga was appointed as Pakistan’s new T20I captain in November 2024. Although the team lost the series against Australia, they continued to lead in the later bilateral series.
Under his leadership, Pakistan won the series against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh (at home), and West Indies, while New Zealand has suffered a loss in a return tour to Bangladesh. Salman has scored 380 runs, including three fifties, and has taken four wickets in T20I.
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