Umar Akmal: “He should ask for two months’ rest – no cricket, just training and time with family. When he returns, he’ll be refreshed and back in form”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal has suggested that Babar Azam take a break from playing cricket for two months.
He noted that Azam needs the rest and should use that time to train and relax with his family.
Akmal feels that being away from the national team and the spotlight for a bit will help the 30-year-old get back in form.
“He should ask for two months’ rest – no cricket, just training and time with family. When he returns, he’ll be refreshed and back in form,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Recently, Azam was involved in Pakistan’s three-match ODI series against New Zealand and amassed 129 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.
Afterwards, he captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and scored 288 runs in 10 games at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
Pakistan took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series after PSL 10, but Azam was left out of the squad.
The men in green won the series 3-0.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper) and Saim Ayub