Mike Hesson: “Those players that aren’t involved doesn’t mean they’re out of contention but it means that they need to improve in certain areas. Babar is well aware of that and he’s making some good strides”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said star batsman Babar Azam knows he is not “out of contention” when it comes to T20I cricket.
Azam has been left out of Pakistan’s squad for their last few T20I assignments, which has raised questions about whether the selectors have moved on from him.
However, Hesson insisted that the 30-year-old still has a future in the format, but needs to make improvements in certain areas.
“Those players that aren’t involved doesn’t mean they’re out of contention but it means that they need to improve in certain areas. Babar is well aware of that and he’s making some good strides,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam recently captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and made 288 runs in 10 games, which included three fifties, at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
After PSL 10, he didn’t take part in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore.
He also missed the tour of Bangladesh, which consisted of three T20Is.
Pakistan are now touring the West Indies and Azam was once again left out of the team for the T20I series, which the men in green won 2-1.
While the Lahore native missed the three T20Is against the West Indies, he has been picked for the upcoming three-match ODI series, which starts on August 9 in Trinidad.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
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