Aaqib Javed: “Whether it’s Babar or any other player, the game is open to everyone. If Babar or anyone else performs well, they will earn their place”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed has told batsman Babar Azam to earn his spot back in the T20I team by performing well.
Azam used to be one of Pakistan’s go-to openers in the shortest format and consistently scored runs at the top of the order.
However, his strike-rate consistently proved to be a problem as his critics blasted him for putting pressure on the middle order.
With Azam currently out of the T20I team, Aaqib made it clear that the 30-year-old can make a comeback, provided he scores runs on a regular basis.
“Whether it’s Babar or any other player, the game is open to everyone. If Babar or anyone else performs well, they will earn their place,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“There are numerous challenges for them, and they must be prepared to face them.”
Azam recently captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and finished with 288 runs in 10 games, which included three fifties, at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
After PSL 10, Pakistan took on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series, but Azam was left out of the squad.
He was also ignored by the selectors for the tour of Bangladesh, where the men in green lost the T20I series 2-1.
As for the tour of the West Indies, Azam wasn’t picked in the T20I side once again.
He did, however, take part in the three-match ODI series and scored 56 runs at an average of 18.66.
Pakistan won the T20I series 2-1, but lost the ODI series 2-1.
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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