National men’s selection committee member, Aaqib Javed has claimed that players are selected based on the playing conditions, and Babar Azam is also in the T20 format despite his poor strike rate. Mike Hesson has indicated that Azam will not open the innings for Pakistan.
Pakistan has finally revealed the squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and confirmed their participation in the upcoming event. The men’s selection committee and head coach Mike Hesson have made significant changes to the team.
The change that seemed significant was that Haris Rauf was left out of the squad for an ICC tournament for the first time since his debut. While Mohammad Wasim Jr. has also been dropped from the team, veteran batsman Babar Azam has returned for the World Cup.
Aaqib Javed claimed, “Babar Azam is definitely our most consistent batsman.”
While Babar Azam was the captain of the Pakistan team last time in the T20 World Cup, in recent times he was dropped from the shortest format of the game. Mike Hesson surprisingly dropped Babar from the Asia Cup squad as well.
Babar made his debut for Sydney Sixers in this season of the BBL hoping to revive his T20 form in one of the oldest and most prestigious T20 tournaments in the world. However, he also failed to perform well for the Sixers and scored 200+ runs in 11 innings with a strike rate of around 100.
On the basis of these, questions were raised on the selection of players in Pakistan’s team for the World Cup. The reporter questioned, “You talked about modern cricket, but Babar Azam’s recent playing style does not match modern cricket.”
Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed claimed, “You have to judge a player according to the conditions. Sometimes, you pick players based on the situation. Babar is definitely our most consistent batsman.”
Q: You talked about modern cricket, but Babar Azam’s recent playing style does not match modern cricket.
Aaqib Javed: You have to judge a player according to the circumstances. Sometimes, you choose players based on the situation. Babar is definitely our most consistent player… pic.twitter.com/375UnufurQ
– Junaz (@dhilllow_) 25 January 2026
“Babar has a lot to offer in other areas” – Mike Hesson
Depending on the circumstances, Babar Azam will not be allowed to open the innings for the team, as claimed by national head coach Mike Hesson. Hesson is known for making bold changes to the lineup and it has paid off in the Asia Cup.
Mike Hesson acknowledged the fact that Babar may not be the right player to utilize in powerplay situations; However, with his experience as the world’s leading run-scorer in T20I cricket, he could be useful in many other areas.
“We don’t see him opening because the ability to take advantage of the powerplay is very important. However, Babar has a lot to offer in other areas. Also, if we are chasing a low score, he has the ability to control the target,” the Pakistan head coach said.
Babar Azam will not open in the World Cup
The head coach said, “We don’t see him opening because the ability to exploit the powerplay is very important. However, Babar has a lot to offer in other areas. Also, if we are chasing a low score, he has the ability to take control… pic.twitter.com/2tkflLvnUi
– Junaz (@dhilllow_) 25 January 2026
Pakistan confirms participation in ICC T20 World Cup with squad announcement
Many doubts have been raised recently over Pakistan’s possible participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026. The PCB had supported the BCB in its recent battle with the ICC over the T20 World Cup venue change and then threatened to boycott the competition if Bangladesh was forced to withdraw.
However, PCB has rejected all such claims and confirmed their participation in the ICC tournament by announcing their squad for the upcoming tournament much before the scheduled date given by ICC. Pakistan will play all its matches in Sri Lanka; Even hosts India will travel to Colombo to take part in group-stage games against neighboring rivals.
Also read: Revealed: If Pakistan withdraws, who will replace them in T20 World Cup 2026?
