Pakistan Coach Explains What Babar Azam Must Do to Return for T20 World Cup
Babar Facing a Path Back
Babar Azam still has a chance to make it back into Pakistan’s T20 side for next year’s World Cup, but coach Mike Hesson has made it clear what he needs to work on. The former captain has been left out of the squads for the upcoming tri-series against the UAE and Afghanistan, as well as the Asia Cup, raising fresh questions about his future in the shortest format.
Recent Form Under the Microscope
Babar has not played a T20 international since the end of last year. His most recent outing for Pakistan came in the ODI series against the West Indies. He started with a steady 47 from 64 balls in Trinidad but followed it with scores of zero and nine. Those failures, coming at a time when selectors are rewarding batters who score quickly, didn’t help his case.
What Hesson Wants to See
According to Hesson, two things are holding Babar back in T20 cricket: his ability to take on spin and his strike rate. Both, he said, are being worked on.
“Babar has been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working hard on,” Hesson said.
One way back into the side could be through the Big Bash League later this year. Hesson said strong performances in Australia in December and January could make Babar hard to ignore. “He’s too good a player not to consider,” Hesson added.
Why Others Were Picked Instead
Hesson pointed to recent form as the main reason for leaving out both Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. Sahibzada Farhan, for example, has been in excellent touch, with three Player of the Match awards in just six games against Bangladesh and the West Indies.
He explained that the selection approach is now focused on players who score at a higher strike rate. “In T20 cricket, the top order has to set the pace. Our recent wins have come when the openers got us ahead of the game,” Hesson said.
Pakistan Squad for Tri-Series and Asia Cup
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Waseem Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufyan Moqim