Shahid Afridi: “Players need to be given breaks, whether it’s Babar Azam or anyone else”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi believes top players like Babar Azam also need breaks from cricket.
Azam has struggled to score runs consistently as of late, which has led to him being dropped from the T20I team for the recent five-match series against New Zealand and the ongoing three-match series against Bangladesh.
The 30-year-old did play in the three-match ODI series against the Black Caps and finished as Pakistan’s top run-scorer with 129 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 43.
Despite showing signs of getting back into form, Afridi hinted that Azam may benefit from taking a break.
“Players need to be given breaks, whether it’s Babar Azam or anyone else,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Following the New Zealand tour, Azam captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and amassed 288 runs in 10 matches, which included three fifties, at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
After PSL 10, Azam was left out of Pakistan’s squad for their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which they won 3-0.
The men in green are now touring Bangladesh and find themselves 1-0 down in the ongoing three-match T20I series in Mirpur after losing the 1st T20I by seven wickets.
Azam was once again ignored by the selectors.
The 2nd T20I will take place on July 22 in Mirpur.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem
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