Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez criticised Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for their poor run of form with the bat, stating that they should be ‘concerned’ about their positions in the team.
Babar has not played a T20I in 2025, with his last appearance coming in December 2024 against South Africa. His last fifty-plus score in T20Is came against Ireland, where he struck 75 off 42 balls.
During the recent three-match ODI series against the West Indies, he managed just 56 runs across three innings, averaging 18.67. Ahead of the Asia Cup, he has come under increasing criticism, along with Rizwan, who last featured in a T20I against South Africa last year. Since Mike Hesson took charge, both batters have been on the sidelines.
“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.
“If we look at the past year and a half to two years, the players showing consistent performances are Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz. Why aren’t we talking about them? They are the ones currently winning matches for Pakistan,” he added.
Hafeez not only urged Babar and Rizwan to regain their form but also criticised the performances of Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
“Both need to be fully committed on the field; without that, positive results won’t follow. The same applies to Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi — they’re not delivering match-winning performances for Pakistan,” he said.
While Babar and Rizwan have managed to accumulate runs in T20I cricket, their low strike rates have become a significant concern for the selectors and the new team management. With the squad for the upcoming tri-series and Asia Cup set to be announced soon, the inclusion of both players remains highly uncertain.
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