Rashid Latif: “Babar Azam should consider stepping away from Pakistan’s T20I side”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has suggested that Babar Azam should consider stepping away from the T20I side.
Babar has long faced criticism over his strike-rate, with his scoring tempo frequently coming under scrutiny.
Given the evolving demands of T20 cricket, Latif believes the 31-year-old’s style of play may no longer be suited to that particular form of the game.
“Babar Azam should consider stepping away from Pakistan’s T20I side,” he was quoted as saying by Khel Shel.
Despite concerns about Azam’s performance in the shortest format, he silenced his critics during the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained the Peshawar Zalmi and played a key role in helping them be crowned champions as he was the highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches, including two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
Following this, Azam scored 115 runs in one Test against Bangladesh, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
Next up was three ODIs against Australia, where he accumulated 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Pakistan will now tour the West Indies for two Tests, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.