‘Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan not picked in Pakistan’s squad for the 2025 Asia Cup.’ That this particular headline didn’t exactly hog the limelight on social media platforms was an interesting theme of Pakistan’s squad announcement. Incidentally, around five months ago, Pakistan’s previous think-tank had taken the decision to leave out the duo for the T20Is in New Zealand. It was a sign of things to come for the two established members of the set-up.
So, is it right from Pakistan’s perspective to not pick the experienced duo for the multi-nation tournament? More importantly, what could be the rationale behind taking such a call? It is crystal clear that Pakistan are aiming to tinker with their batting template – Babar’s overall strike rate is 129.22, and his strike-rate since the start of 2022 is also around 129. Just peel the numbers further, and his strike-rate plummets to 124.9 versus spin in that timespan. Last year, however, it was on an upward curve, standing at 145.9.
In the same timeframe, Rizwan’s strike-rate is a modest 122.24. Interestingly, Rizwan averaged 44.37 in that phase, but we live in times where a player’s strike-rate has taken precedence over average in the shortest format.
Mike Hesson, the New Zealander tasked with reviving Pakistan’s fortunes, said of Babar’s absence: “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.
“Sahibzada Farhan has played six games (against Bangladesh and West Indies) and won three Player of the Match awards. 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.”
Having said all that, there is a counterargument too. With the Asia Cup being a three-week long tournament, and only two venues used, there is a decent chance of witnessing some tired tracks. In such conditions, a batter’s experience could make a difference – The ability to absorb the pressure and play according to the conditions.
Pakistan’s current coaching staff, though, have made up their minds to look beyond the batting duo. In some ways, it is the right approach as power-hitting has become the go-to skill in the T20 format. It is also imperative to utilise the Powerplay overs to the fullest extent.
In that context, all eyes will zoom in on Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Hasan Nawaz, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha, Hussain Talat and Khushdil Shah to provide the fireworks. Take a deep dive, and you will observe that the strike-rates of Agha, Khushdil, Farhan and Talat are as follows: 115.85, 104.62, 127.01 and 117.21. It’s just that most of them are inexperienced, and for now have the backing of Pakistan’s backroom staff.