Ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 final against India in Dubai on 28 September, there was amazing news from the Pakistan camp associated with Babar Azam. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) allegedly tried to bring back Babar Azam to save the batting order struggling in the tournament.
Back-to-back necklace against India in Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025-first in the group stage and then on September 21 in the Super Four Clash-only detailed its campaign, but also started an immediate conversation inside the PCB.
PCB’s last minute bid to remember Babar Azam rejected by Asia Cup organizers
As a result, Pakistan team management and selectors felt Babur’s absence in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. Local media reports suggest that the PCB wanted to bring back the former captain back to the mid-tournament of the squad.
The board believed that Babur’s experience and calm presence could stabilize Pakistan’s delicate batting lineup, which is struggling to find the rhythm.
Also read: India vs Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 final hit sudden cancellation !!!
However, the Asia Cup organizers rejected the request, making it clear that a replacement can only be made when a current squad was injured, despite the fact that PCB president Mohsin is the head of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). In particular, Babur played T20 IT for Pakistan in December 2024.
Babur Azam set Salman Ali Aga to change?
Babur suddenly returned to controversy, both captain and players as the future of Pakistan’s current T20I captain Salman Ali Aga depend on his performance in the final against India.
A cricket Pakistan report wrote, “Sources revealed that Babar Azam’s return for the T20I series against South Africa is a strong possibility. With a continuous failure with a batting lineup, the absence of a senior batsman is firmly felt. Salman Ali Aga will depend on his performance as captain and player as the role of Aga.”
The report further stated, “After two recent defeats against India, PCB officials have directed that Babar Azam be brought back to the team. A few days ago, it was also decided to send a senior batsman to the UAE for the Asia Cup, but the organizers made it clear to the board that no change could be made in the squad until a player was injured.”
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Babur Azam leads the 11 -member squad at the intense red ball camp at NCA
Meanwhile, Babar Azam is ready to return to red-ball action, as the Pakistan team is ready for an important test series against South Africa at home. The PCB has invited the former captain to a high-spurning training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Lahore.
The camp, which is closed on Tuesday, will have 11 players, who have been asked to report on Monday in NCA. This will run till September 28 under the attentive eyes of interim red ball head coach Azhar Mahmood with experienced coaches and assistant employees of NCA.
The training camp is being seen as an important step in Pakistan’s preparation for South Africa tests, in which selectors have eager to reconstruct a strong batting core. Babur will attend the camp in Babur, Lahore with the choice of Abdullah Shafiq, Ali Raza, Azan Awes and Kamran Ghulam.
The camp will focus on strengthening batting techniques, improving the nature of the red ball and refining strategies ahead of the high-day test series against the protease side at home.