Asia Cup: 'Stop calling them key players' – Mohammad Hafeez slams Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan after Pakistan squad snub
For years,
Babar Azam
and Mohammad Rizwan have been seen as the backbone of Pakistan's batting unit. But with both senior batters left out of the squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, questions over their place in the T20 setup have resurfaced.
Former Pakistan all-rounder
Mohammad Hafeez
has now added fuel to the debate, bluntly declaring that the duo no longer qualify as 'key players' for the national side.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Hafeez argued that the 'key player' tag belongs only to those consistently winning matches for Pakistan — a category he believes neither Babar nor Rizwan currently fit into. 'Calling them key players would be wrong and unfair.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket's key players at the moment. Key players are those who win matches for Pakistan,' he said.
Instead, Hafeez pointed to a new generation of performers carrying the team's fight in recent times. 'If we look at the past year and a half to two years, the players showing consistent performance are Salman Ali Agha, Saeem Ayub and Hasan Nawaz. Why aren't we talking about them? They are the current players winning matches for Pakistan' he added.
Hafeez stressed that the senior batters must re-earn their reputations. 'I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results,' he remarked.
Even Pakistan's bowling spearheads did not escape Hafeez's assessment. 'The same goes for Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, they are also not giving match-winning performances for Pakistan,' he said, before urging the board to adopt a long-term vision.
'We should focus on players who can contribute for the next 10–15 years. Our media criticises one or two players and hypes one or two others, which is wrong. We need to talk about those who are actually performing,' Hafeez concluded.
Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
18 minutes ago
- First Post
Pakistan coach Mike Hesson explains Asia Cup squad on social media amid Babar Azam criticism: 'Excited to see some fresh faces'
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson took to social media to explain the Asia Cup squad selection after facing criticism for leaving out Babar Azam criticism. Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson has taken to social media platforms to explain the team selection amid the criticism for leaving out Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. Pakistan start their Asia Cup campaign on 12 September in Dubai against Oman, before facing India and the UAE in the group stage. Neither Babar and Rizwan has played T20Is recently, while Salman Agha has been named as the captain. However, with such a big tournament in the offing, it was felt that one among Babar or Rizwan can make a comeback as they are top run-getters in T20Is for Pakistan. But that did not happen. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hesson asks Babar to improve strike rate Defending the decision not to include Babar, Hesson at the press conference said that the right-handed batter needs to improve his strike rate, with the next BBL a possible tournament for him to show the improvements. 'There's no doubt Babar has been asked to improve in some areas, particularly against spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are aspects I know he's working very hard on at the moment,' Hesson said at a press conference. 'A player like Babar also has the opportunity to play in the BBL and showcase improvements in those areas of T20 cricket. He's simply too good a player for us not to consider,' Hesson added. Pak coach explains Asia Cup squad rationale Later, taking to X and Instagram, Hesson explained the rationale behind the Pakistan squad picked for the Asia Cup. The New Zealander said that they have picked a 'highly competitive squad' that includes experienced cricketers and fresh faces. 'We've put together what we believe is a highly competitive squad following the recent T20I series. Excited to see some fresh faces stepping up alongside our experienced senior players. A great blend of energy & experience for the Tri-Nation series & Asia Cup,' Hesson wrote on Instagram. Underlining the strategy to pick five pacers, Hesson said that Pakistan have a balanced squad for the tournament. 'Our squad features five front line seamers to adapt according to UAE conditions, along with two attacking mystery spinners. With depth in batting, much improved fielding side along with the bowlers mentioned above we overall have an excellent balanced squad.' Pakistan's squad for Asia Cup 2025: Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Watch: Neymar Jr breaks down in tears after worst career defeat; Santos manager fired
Neymar was inconsolable as Santos suffered a 6-0 defeat to Vasco da Gama. It was the biggest loss of Neymar's career (Image via Getty Images & X/Screengrab) Neymar Jr endured a rather difficult moment of his career so far on Sunday as Santos were humiliated 6-0 by Vasco da Gama in the Brazilian Serie A, a result that left the forward in tears at full-time and cost head coach Cléber Xavier his job. The 33-year-old, who rejoined Santos earlier this year, was left distraught after the final whistle. He was visibly emotional on the pitch and had to be consoled by members of the coaching staff. 'I'm ashamed. I'm totally disappointed with our performance. The fans have every right to protest, obviously without using violence … But if they want to curse and insult, they're in their right,' Neymar said after the defeat . Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'It's a feeling of extreme shame. I've never experienced this in my life. Unfortunately, it happened. The tears were from anger, from everything. Unfortunately, I can't help in every way. Anyway, it was total s*** that's the reality,' he added. The defeat, the heaviest in Neymar's career, came in a high-stakes clash against fellow relegation rivals. Vasco surged ahead early through Lucas Piton before Philippe Coutinho, Neymar's Brazil teammate, struck twice in the second half. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nikita Stephanie Shares Her Journey Solitaire Read More Undo Further goals from David Correa De Fonseca, Rayan and Danilo Neves sealed their fate. While the result lifted Vasco out of the relegation zone, Santos slipped dangerously closer to it, stuck on 21 points in 15th place. Neymar's frustrations were made worse as he collected his third yellow card of the campaign, ruling him out of the next match against Bahia. Poll Is this Neymar's lowest moment in his career? Yes, definitely No, he's had worse Head coach Cléber Xavier was sacked by the club's board right after the game. Santos are now only two points clear of the relegation zone. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
News18
an hour ago
- News18
'India Vs Pakistan Match Nahi Hoga, Mera Dava Hai': Ex-Batter's Stunning Asia Cup Claim
Last Updated: The Asia Cup 2025 raises questions about India vs Pakistan matches amid tensions from the Pahalgam attack. Kedar Jadhav stated India will boycott the September 14 game. The Asia Cup 2025 is approaching, raising questions about the India vs Pakistan matches. The schedule indicates the archrivals might face off three times. Fans wonder if India will play against Pakistan, especially given the outrage over the Pahalgam terrorist attack that killed more than 20 civilians. In response to the attack, the Indian government took strong diplomatic measures against Pakistan and conducted an army operation named Operation Sindoor. The announcement of the Asia Cup and the fixtures between India and Pakistan has sparked controversy in the country. Though it's uncertain if the two teams will meet in the championship, cricketer-turned-politician Kedar Jadhav stated that India will boycott the September 14 game against Pakistan. 'I think the Indian team should not play at all. As far as India is concerned, I think that wherever India plays, it will always win, but this match should not be played at all," Jadhav told the media on Sunday. 'Ye match bilkul nahi khelna chahiye, aur khelenge bhi nahi, ye main daave ke saath keh sakta hun," he told the reporters. India Boycotted Pakistan Game At WCL Last month, Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions boycotted matches against Pakistan twice in the second season of the World Championship league. The defending champions withdrew from the semi-final clash against Mohammad Hafeez & Co, allowing Pakistan to advance to the finals, where they were defeated by South Africa. 'Indian players have refused to play against Pakistan in the WCL semifinal scheduled for Thursday," sources told IANS. 'Retired international players representing India Champions have refused to play against Pakistan Champions in the semi-final of the World Championship of Legends in Birmingham," PTI reported, citing sources. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
