Asia Cup 2025: Why Babar Azam Wasn't Included In Pakistan Squad?- Explained

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The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made one of its boldest selection calls in recent times, leaving out two of the country's biggest modern-day stars, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, from the 17-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and the preceding tri-series in the UAE.

The move signals a dramatic shift in Pakistan's T20I planning, with the selectors clearly leaning towards impact-driven players who have been delivering consistent performances in recent months.

Babar Azam, who last featured in a T20I series in December against South Africa, endured a tough run with the bat, managing a duck in one match and 31 in the other. Rizwan, meanwhile, scored a fighting 74 in the same series but could not retain his place as Pakistan's selectors opted for fresh options at the top of the order.

Since that South Africa series, Pakistan have played 14 T20Is, all without the Babar-Rizwan pair, and their continued absence from the Asia Cup squad has fueled strong speculation that their T20I careers may be drawing to a close.

Salman Ali Agha, who has been leading the side since March, will continue as captain. His leadership has coincided with the rise of new names like Sahibzada Farhan, who has grabbed three Player of the Match awards in just six appearances. Alongside him, Saim Ayub and Fakhar Zaman have been making important contributions, giving the selectors further confidence to stick with the younger group.

Head coach Mike Hesson explained the thought process behind these big calls. "Our current squad is performing really well. Sahibzada Farhan, for example, has played 6 matches and earned 3 POTM awards. Saim and Fakhar have also been impressive. What we want are players who can deliver with real impact," he said. Hesson further added, "From a T20I perspective, this side is performing quite nicely. The ODI is a different question, and that will be answered at a different time."

On Babar specifically, Hesson did not rule out a future return. "The BBL could be the perfect stage for Babar Azam to show how much he has sharpened his T20 game. A player of his class is simply too big to be left out of consideration," he remarked.

For now, however, Pakistan will march into the Asia Cup with a new-look unit, leaving fans to wonder if an era has ended in their T20 cricket. But we feel, it's just a tactical call with an aim to build the future.