Jason Gillespie: “You’ve got Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan available and where they fit in. They’re both quality players, I still believe they’ve got plenty to offer in the white-ball space. There’s no doubt about that”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie believes batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan still have plenty to offer in white-ball cricket.
His comments came after both of them lost their spots in the T20I team despite being consistent run-scorers.
Azam and Rizwan were the go-to openers in the shortest format, but their low strike-rates were constantly highlighted as a major problem.
Even though the men in green opted for younger talents over the duo, Gillespie feels the selectors should still keep Azam and Rizwan in their plans as they are “quality players”.
“You’ve got Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan available and where they fit in. They’re both quality players, I still believe they’ve got plenty to offer in the white-ball space. There’s no doubt about that,” he told PakPassion.
Azam and Rizwan missed all of Pakistan’s recent T20I assignments, including the 2025 Asia Cup.
They returned to play in the two-Test series against South Africa, with Azam scoring 131 runs, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.
Rizwan, meanwhile, finished with 126 runs, which included a top score of 75, at an average of 31.50.
Pakistan and South Africa are now involved in a three-match T20I series, which Azam was recalled.
Rizwan didn’t share the same fate as he continued to be left out of the squad.
In the 1st T20I, Azam failed to have an impact with the bat as he was dismissed for a duck.
Once the T20Is are done, the men in green and the Proteas will play a three-match ODI series from November 4 to 8.
Following that, Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series from November 11 to 15, before joining a T20I tri-series with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe from November 17 to 29.
Pakistan squad for South Africa T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan squad for South Africa ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
[TS_Poll id=”133″]