End of Babar Azam in T20I cricket? Aqib Javed clears air around star batter's future
Director of the National High-Performance Centre, Aaqib Javed, has dismissed rumours surrounding Babar Azam's T20I future, stating that the doors remain open to any player who performs consistently in the format. Reports have suggested that Babar, along with Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, may be left out of Pakistan's T20I plans for the upcoming tour of the West Indies, starting August 1.advertisementBabar has not featured in Pakistan's T20I setup since the tour of South Africa in December 2024. The former captain, who led the team during the previous T20 World Cup, was also absent from the five-match T20I series in New Zealand and the three-match home series against Bangladesh.Speaking at a press conference in Lahore on Monday, 16 June, Aaqib Javed stressed that no player, including Babar, has been ruled out and that selections would be made solely on the basis of merit and current form.
'Whether it's Babar or any other player, the game is open to everyone. If Babar or anyone else performs well, they will earn their place—anyone can rise through performance,' he was quoted as saying by Pakistani media.'Players are aware of which format they best fit into. There are numerous challenges ahead, and they must be prepared to face them,' he added.advertisementFollowing their failure to reach the knockout stages of the T20 World Cup, Pakistan have hit the reset button in T20I cricket. The focus has shifted to providing opportunities to emerging talents in preparation for next year's World Cup.Salman Ali Agha captained a youthful side on tours to New Zealand and Bangladesh. While Pakistan managed only one win in New Zealand, they achieved a 3–0 clean sweep over Bangladesh at home.Former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson replaced Aaqib Javed as the head coach of the white-ball teams. Hesson is reportedly eager to test several youngsters in the upcoming West Indies series as part of long-term planning.'The idea is that if things go south, the selectors can always return to Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen,' a source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) told PTI earlier in June.Meanwhile, Babar has signed with the Sydney Sixers for his maiden stint in Australia's Big Bash League. The PCB has granted him and several other players No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in the T20 league, which runs from 28 December through late January.Must Watch
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