Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has raised concerns over Babar Azam’s removal from the national T20I team. In a recent interview, Afridi questioned the decision to drop one of the team’s most reliable performers.When asked if Babar and Mohammad Rizwan still deserve a place in the squad ahead of the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, Afridi said that strike rate is important, but Babar’s performance has always been steady.
He said, “If strike rate is the issue, then new players should be offering better numbers. Babar is a consistent scorer and performs under pressure. His strike rate is similar to the young players being tried now.”Afridi added that giving new talent a chance is fine, but only if they bring improvement. He stressed that Babar’s experience and form should not be ignored.
It’s important to note that both Babar and Rizwan haven’t played a T20I since December 2024 and are currently not in the plans of the new coaching setup led by Mike Hesson.
