Shahid Afridi: “Babar Azam is not in the team, and when he was there, we knew he would definitely score runs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi cannot understand why batsman Babar Azam was dropped from the T20I squad in the first place, saying “we knew he would definitely score runs.”
Azam was out of the T20I side for quite some time before finally returning during the three-match series against South Africa from October to November 2025, where he amassed 79 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
He then proceeded to make 45 runs in three ODIs against the Proteas at an average of 15.
As for the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, the 31-year-old finished with 165 runs, which included his first international hundred in over two years, at an average of 82.50.
“Babar Azam is not in the team, and when he was there, we knew he would definitely score runs,” Afridi was quoted as saying on Facebook.
Azam is now taking part in Pakistan’s T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, where he has accumulated 90 runs in four games, which includes a top score of 74, at an average of 22.50 and a strike-rate of 113.92.
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem