Abid Ali: “No hate, just reality check: Is it time for Babar Azam to retire from T20 cricket and make space for a new era?”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran Pakistan opener Abid Ali has questioned whether it is time for top-order batsman Babar Azam to retire from T20Is.
Azam has struggled for consistency in the shortest format in recent outings for the men in green, with concerns growing over both his run output and notably low strike-rate.
Abid suggested that the 31-year-old may need to step aside to make room for emerging talent showing significant promise.
“No hate, just reality check: Is it time for Babar Azam to retire from T20 cricket and make space for a new era?” he said on X.
Azam was recently reappointed as Test captain and will lead Pakistan in their upcoming two-match series against the West Indies, which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
After that, the men in green will tour England for 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