Basit Ali: “Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman don’t have a voice. How come they agreed to bat in the middle order?”
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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali feels Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman “don’t have a voice” after both were pushed down the order in the T20I team.
Shahid Afridi: “Babar Azam must play as an opener or else he has no role in [the] Pakistan cricket team”
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Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi believes Babar Azam has no role in the T20I team unless he plays as an opener.
Mohammad Hafeez: “There is still a place for Babar Azam in the national T20 squad, but Babar should bat as an opener or at number three; Babar Azam needs to improve his batting, especially his strike-rate”
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Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez said he still sees a place for Babar Azam in the T20I side if he improves his batting and strike-rate.
Abid Ali: “Babar Azam remains Pakistan’s batting cornerstone – elite technique, consistency and big-match class across formats. Back him with trust and the right role – he’ll bounce back strong”
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Veteran Pakistan opener Abid Ali believes Babar Azam is still the country’s “batting cornerstone” and should continue to be backed and trusted.
Basit Ali: “Aaqib Javed is good for nothing, he does not even know himself why he placed Babar Azam at number four”
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Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali has lashed out at Director of High-Performance Aaqib Javed, saying he is “good for nothing”.
Shoaib Akhtar: “Babar Azam is not going to deliver until you play him as an opener. He is of no use in the middle order”
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Pakistan pace legend Shoaib Akhtar believes Babar Azam will be useless in the middle order and will not deliver in T20Is unless he returns to opening the batting.
Shoaib Akhtar: “Fakhar Zaman is a natural opener, yet he was not played earlier”
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Pakistan fast bowling icon Shoaib Akhtar said Fakhar Zaman is a natural opener and questioned why he has not been used in that role more often.
Mohammad Hafeez: “This is injustice with Babar Azam and [the] Pakistan cricket team to make Babar bat at number four. Babar is never suitable for any other number except opener or one down”
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Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez said batsman Babar Azam is the victim of injustice as he is being made to bat at number four in T20Is.
Mohammad Hafeez: “Fakhar can replace Saim and Babar can bat at number three, with Agha [at] number four”
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Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez believes Fakhar Zaman can replace Saim Ayub as the team’s opener in T20Is.
Samit Patel: “I mean come on playing Fakhar Zaman at number five. He is one the best openers Pakistan have had. It’s very sad to see”
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Former England all-rounder Samit Patel admitted it was sad seeing Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman batting at number five during the 2026 T20 World Cup when he is “one of the best best openers” the country has had.
