Ahmed Shehzad: “Babar Azam… has no place in T20s but [the] selectors are forcefully including him in T20s”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has claimed that Babar Azam does not merit a place in Pakistan’s T20I side, alleging that selectors are forcefully persisting with him.
Azam’s suitability for the shortest format has been widely debated, with his strike rate and style of play frequently coming under scrutiny.
Shehzad believes the selectors should explore alternative options rather than continuing with the 31-year-old, who is coming off a challenging period with the bat during which his run-scoring form dipped significantly.
“Babar Azam… has no place in T20s but [the] selectors are forcefully including him in T20s,” Shehzad was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X.
During the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Azam put his skills on display as he captained the Peshawar Zalmi to the title and finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
The Lahore-born batsman maintained that momentum in the two-Test series against Bangladesh, where he made 115 runs in the one match he played, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
He continued to be in excellent form in the three-match ODI series against Australia as he amassed 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a two-Test series against the West Indies, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
Following this, they will head to England to play three Tests from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah