Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has addressed the much-discussed exclusion of Babar Azam from the Asia Cup 2025 squad.
The 30-year-old batter finds himself in a situation few would have predicted just over a year ago. Not too long ago, he was leading the side but he cannot even find a place in the team now. After missing the T20I series against Bangladesh and the West Indies, the former skipper has now been excluded from the 17-member squad for the Asia Cup, which begins on September 9 in the UAE.
Babar Azam is not the only senior name missing from the setup. Wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has also been dropped. The duo has come under scrutiny in recent months for their scoring rates in the shortest format.
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Mike Hesson on Babar Azam’s Areas of Improvement
Hesson shed light on the reasons behind the decision to not pick Babar. The focus, he said, is on improving his strike-rate and effectiveness against spin bowling.
"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 as quoted in the press conference.
The coach also pointed out that Babar could use the Big Bash League (BBL) to work on his weak areas.
"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," he added.
Babar Azam’s T20I Numbers
Babar has scored 4,223 T20I runs at an average of 39.84 and a strike-rate of 129.22. But his scoring rate has dipped. Against spinners in particular, his strike-rate has been just 122.91 since January 2022, the lowest among batters who have faced more than 1,000 balls. Rizwan, who has also been omitted, is next on that list with the strike-rate of 123.35.
Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In Pakistan’s most recent ODI series in the West Indies, he scored 47, 0, and 9 in three matches.
The Asia Cup will be played in the UAE from September 9 to 28. Before the tournament, Pakistan will feature in a T20 tri-series with Afghanistan and the UAE in Sharjah from August 29 to September 7.
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