Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson justified Babar Azam’s omission from the T20I squad for the UAE tri-series and the upcoming Asia Cup, stating that he has been asked to improve his game against spin and, in particular, his strike rate.
On Sunday, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced a 17-member squad, with both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan left out. Since Hesson took charge of the team, both former captains have been on the sidelines as far as T20Is are concerned.
Hesson noted that Babar is “working very hard” to address the issues in his batting in the shortest format of the game.
“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 at the press conference during the squad announcement.
Babar is set to make his debut in this year’s Big Bash League, having been picked by the Sydney Sixers earlier this year. Hesson views it as a valuable opportunity for Babar to refine his T20 game and work his way back into the national side.
“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,” Hesson added.
After the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s next major T20 assignment will be the T20 World Cup, set to be co-hosted in India and Sri Lanka. All eyes will be on the 2025–26 BBL season and how Babar performs. Based on Hesson’s comments, Babar’s selection will largely depend on his performance in that tournament for the Sixers.
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