Asia Cup: Will Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan make T20I comeback?
What's the story
Pakistan cricket is in a state of turmoil after their 1-2 ODI series defeat against West Indies. The loss marked the first time in 34 years that Pakistan had been beaten by the Windies in the format. Now, as the focus shifts to T20 Asia Cup 2025 starting September 9, there are speculations around Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan's comeback to the T20I side. Here are further details.
Squad changes
PCB considering dropping Babar, Rizwan for Asia Cup
According to reports from Cricfollow, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not likely to hand Babar and Rizwan and comeback in the T20I team. The duo has not played a single T20I match in 2025, with Babar last seen in action against South Africa back in December 2024. Rizwan also hasn't played since then, further fueling speculation about their exclusion from the Asia Cup squad.
Performance review
Performance in PSL and ODI series
Babar's performance in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 has also been disappointing. He scored only 288 runs at an average of 36. Rizwan, on the contrary, enjoyed an impressive campaign - 367 runs at 52.42. The Pakistan skipper, however, had a hard time against West Indies, scoring a mere 69 runs. Babar's scores in the series were 0, 9, and 47.
Strike rate issues
Strike rate concerns and potential captaincy change
Apart from their low scores, Babar and Rizwan have also faced criticism for their strike rates. This has been a major concern for Pakistan cricket as they look to build a competitive squad for the Asia Cup. Though Babar is Pakistan's leading run-scorer in T20Is with 4,223 runs at an average of 39.8, his strike rate reads 129.22. Rizwan's 3,414 T20I runs have come at an average and strike rate of 47.41 and 125.37, respectively.