Babar Azam withdraws from National T20 Championship to 'fix flaws'
What's the story
After being dropped from the ODI series against Bangladesh, former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has pulled out of the ongoing National T20 Championship. The decision comes as he looks to fix "flaws in his technique" ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), starting March 26. Babar recently had a torrid run in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, where Pakistan couldn't reach the semi-finals.
Training focus
Babar prioritizes technique over participation
Despite being named in the Lahore Whites squad for the National T20 Championship, Babar has opted not to play. Instead, he is focusing on his batting with some unnamed coaches. A source close to the Pakistan Cricket Board revealed that both Babar and team management agreed on this decision, prioritizing his batting technique over participation in the national event.
Upcoming tournament
Babar's PSL campaign with Peshawar Zalmi
Babar is set to play in the 2026 PSL for Peshawar Zalmi, where he will open the batting. The 31-year-old, who was once the top-ranked ICC T20I batter, has been in a downward spiral in the format. He was dropped from the final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka in India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign. Overall, Babar scored 91 runs from four innings at a strike rate of 112.34 in the tournament.
Numbers
Limited domestic appearances for Babar since 2020
According to PTI, since 2020, Babar has not featured in any domestic competition other than the PSL. Despite having over 11,000 runs, Babar's strike rate in T20s has plunged to 128.31. He has a record 11 tons and 98 half-centuries in the format. With over 4,500 runs, the star Pakistan batter has a strike rate of 128.02 in T20Is.