Aaqib Javed, the director of the National High-Performance Centre, has put to rest the rumors about Babar Azam’s T20I future. He said anyone who performs well will still be in the mix. There were talks that Babar along with Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi might not be part of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the West Indies tour starting August 1. Babar hasn’t played T20Is since the South Africa tour in December 2024. He also missed the five-match series in New Zealand and the three games against Bangladesh at home.
In a press conference in Lahore on June 16, Aaqib made it clear that no one, including Babar, is out of the picture and team selections will be based on performance and form. “It doesn’t matter if it’s Babar or someone else; the door is open for everyone. If players do well, they’ll earn their spot,” he said. “Players know where they fit best. There are a lot of challenges coming up, and they need to be ready for them.”
After not making it to the knockout rounds in T20 World Cup, Pakistan is shaking things up in T20I cricket. They’re giving chances to new talent for next year’s World Cup. Salman Ali Agha led a young squad on tours of New Zealand and Bangladesh. They won only one game in New Zealand but clean swept Bangladesh 3-0 at home.
Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach, has taken over as head coach of the white-ball teams. He’s looking to test out some young players in the upcoming series against the West Indies as part of long term plans. “The idea is if things don’t go well, the selectors can always bring back Babar, Rizwan and Shaheen,” a PCB source said.
Read Also:- Jofra Archer Returns to Big Bash League After 7 Years – BBL
And on a separate note, Babar has signed with the Sydney Sixers for his first season in Australia’s Big Bash League. PCB has given him and a few other players NOCs to play in the T20 league which runs from December 28 to late January.
