In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through Pakistan cricket, former captain Babar Azam has been left out of the Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup 2025. Head coach Mike Hesson clarified that the decision was not about Babar’s overall class or reputation, but rather his strike rate in T20 cricket and his vulnerability against spin—two critical areas where the team management has demanded improvement.
Pakistan named their 17-member squad on Sunday for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE (September 9–28) and the preceding T20I tri-series against Afghanistan and UAE (August 29–September 7). Notably, both Babar and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan were omitted, signaling a fresh direction in Pakistan’s T20I strategy.
Why Babar Azam was dropped: Strike rate concerns and spin struggles
Since making his T20I debut, Babar has been one of Pakistan’s most consistent run-scorers, amassing 4,223 runs at an average of 39.83. However, his career strike rate of 129.22 has often been criticized, particularly in the shortest format’s fast-paced modern era.
Hesson was candid while addressing the media:
“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.”
The numbers back up the concern. Since January 2022, Babar’s strike rate against spinners in T20 cricket stands at 122.91, the lowest among the 20 batters to have faced over 1,000 deliveries in that phase. Rizwan, his long-time opening partner, follows closely with a strike rate of 123.35. In high-stakes tournaments like the Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup 2026, such middle-overs slowdown could cost Pakistan dearly.
Hesson’s backing: “Babar is too good a player to ignore”
While the decision grabbed headlines, Hesson made it clear that Babar is not out of Pakistan’s long-term plans. Instead, the selectors see this as a crucial phase for him to reinvent his T20 game.
“A player like Babar also has the opportunity to play in the Big Bash League with Sydney Sixers later this year and showcase improvements in those areas of T20 cricket. He’s simply too good a player for us not to consider,” Hesson added.
This indicates that Pakistan’s management expects Babar to use overseas leagues as testing grounds to adapt to evolving T20 dynamics—something Indian and English players have successfully done.
Babar Azam’s recent T20 form: Signs of inconsistency
Babar last represented Pakistan in T20Is in December 2024. Earlier this year, during the PSL 2025, he showed glimpses of form with scores of 56*, 53*, and 94 for Peshawar Zalmi. However, his inability to consistently accelerate in the middle overs remained a recurring theme.
In ODIs too, he endured a lean series in the West Indies, returning scores of 47, 0, and 9. While class is never in question, critics argue that Pakistan cannot afford passengers in their batting order with modern-day T20s demanding aggression from ball one.
Pakistan’s new-look squad for Asia Cup 2025
The Salman Ali Agha-led side features a blend of youth and experience, with players like Fakhar Zaman, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Khushdil Shah, and Faheem Ashraf forming the core. The squad signals a shift towards power-hitters and versatile all-rounders, aimed at injecting tempo into Pakistan’s T20 batting.
Pakistan squad for Asia Cup & tri-series: Salman Ali Agha (capt), Shaheen Afridi, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Saim Ayub, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Mirza, Sufyan Moqim, Mohammad Waseem Jnr.