Wasim Akram: “If I had the authority, I would definitely include Babar Azam in the national T20 team”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan left-arm seamer Wasim Akram said he “would definitely include Babar Azam” in the T20I team if he “had the authority”.
Azam has been excluded from the side for the men in green’s last few assignments, even though he was once the go-to opener in the shortest format.
Explaining why he would pick Azam, Wasim pointed out that the 30-year-old is a senior batsman who can adjust his game and deliver match-winning performances.
“If I had the authority, I would definitely include Babar Azam in the national T20 team… We need a senior batter. Fans may recall that when he represented Somerset in 2019, he scored runs at nearly a 150 strike-rate. He has the ability to adapt his batting according to the situation,” he told Cricket Pakistan.
“When we’re chasing 140 or 160, especially against big teams, we need someone who can take responsibility and carry the other 10 players along with him. Babar is among the world’s best players. He adjusts his game to the format and match situation – he’s done it in the past and can do it in the future as well.”
Azam was ignored by the selectors for Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore, the T20I tour of Bangladesh, and the T20I series against the West Indies.
He ended up taking part in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies and scored 56 runs at an average of 18.66.
However, he was left out when the men in green took on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in a T20I tri-series in Sharjah, which they won.
Pakistan are now involved in the 2025 Asia Cup, which is being played in the UAE.
Once again, Azam failed to make the cut when the squad was announced.
Pakistan began their Asia Cup campaign with a 93-run win over Oman before losing to India by seven wickets.
Their next match will be against the UAE on September 17 in Dubai.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: 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, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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