Pakistan’s white-ball head coach Mike Hesson has rejected calls to include Babar Azam in the squad for the upcoming tri-series and Asia Cup, insisting that the former captain still needs to improve key aspects of his game.
Selection Committee Overruled
Sources told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomAsia.net) that the four-man selection panel — comprising Aaqib Javed, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq and Aleem Dar — had submitted a list of 20 names to Hesson. The list included Babar, following pressure from former greats such as Wasim Akram. However, under the terms of his contract, Hesson has the final say and the authority to trim the list to 17. He exercised that power by leaving out Babar.
Form, Not Reputation
The omission was based on recent performances. Both Babar and fellow T20 discard Mohammad Rizwan were closely assessed during the recent three-match ODI series, their first under Hesson’s tenure since he took charge in May.
Babar scored 50 in one match but managed a duck and nine in the others, while Rizwan’s scores of 53, 16 and 0 also failed to impress. According to sources, both batted too slowly, faced too many dot balls and were unable to convince Hesson of their readiness for a T20 comeback. Had they played with more aggression and higher strike rates, their cases for inclusion would have been stronger, insiders suggested.
World Cup Door Shut — For Now
The latest snub effectively rules Babar and Rizwan out of Pakistan’s Twenty20 World Cup plans for February 2026, which will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on. But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well.
The coach added that Babar still has the opportunity to showcase his progress elsewhere.
A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.
Dip in Form a Major Concern
Hesson has made it clear since his appointment that selection will be based on form rather than past reputation. For Babar, the numbers tell a worrying story.
• In ODIs, he has not scored a century in 29 innings since September 2023, when he made his 19th hundred against Nepal. His career average has dipped from 54 to 36.
• In T20Is, his last century came in April 2023. Since then, he has gone 25 innings without a hundred, averaging just 31.5 compared with his career average of 40.
The Road Ahead
For now, Pakistan will move forward without two of its most experienced batters. Hesson has put faith in players currently delivering results, while Babar and Rizwan face the challenge of rediscovering their best form in time to reignite their international careers.
