Pakistan’s white ball captain Salman Ali Agha has ended all doubts about Babar Azam.
Speaking to reporters in Karachi on Monday, Agha said Babar, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi are locked into a 25-player core that will prepare for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
“These seniors will keep playing until the World Cup,” he explained, making it clear that experience still matters to the new team management.
The statement arrives after the three stars were rested from the upcoming tour of Bangladesh, a move that had sparked talk of a full scale shake up. Agha stressed that the rest was only part of a rotation plan and that the same 25 names will be used in all T20 assignments leading up to the global event.
Their absence in recent months was unusual. Babar and Rizwan last played a T20 International in South Africa in December 2024, while Shaheen’s most recent outing came on the New Zealand tour in March 2025. The new captain’s reassurance puts to rest fears that Pakistan might head into a World Cup without its most seasoned trio.
Babar Azam’s record makes his case stronger
Babar Azam’s numbers explain why he stays central to Pakistan’s plans. He has 4,223 runs from 128 T20Is, more than any other Pakistani and among the top four worldwide.
His career strike rate stands at 129.22 runs per hundred balls, a mark built on timing rather than brute force.
Beyond the stats, Babar’s calm batting style has earned praise around the cricket world. Commentators often link his balance at the crease with past greats, and many young Pakistani batters model their technique on him. That respect matters inside the dressing-room, where his presence brings confidence to newer faces.
Babar also knows how to guide a team deep into tournaments. Under his captaincy Pakistan topped their group and reached the semi-final of the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE, then went one step further in 2022, finishing runners-up to England in Melbourne.
These runs to the last four showed that Pakistan can compete with anyone when Babar anchors the order.
The one concern often raised by selectors is his strike rate. Critics say that while Babar scores heavily, he sometimes scores too slowly for modern powerplay demands. The challenge before him is to turn that steady base into quicker starts, especially on high scoring Indian pitches next October.
Still, bringing him back into the core squad is a positive signal. It shows that the management wants to blend tried and tested class with the youthful energy seen this year. If Babar can add a few extra runs per over without losing his trademark control, Pakistan’s top order will again look as strong as any in the world.
For fans at home, Monday’s news is simple: Pakistan’s best-known batter is still part of the journey. With Babar Azam in the mix, hopes of another long World Cup run are alive and well.
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