Babar Azam's international career in danger!! PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi deliberates

After receiving criticism for having selected a squad excluding Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for the Asia Cup, PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi has clarified his stand on the snub, confirming that he has no role behind it.

The Pakistan Cricket Team had announced their final squad for the UAE tri-series and the Asia Cup before any other team, and they had received widespread criticism over the non-selection of players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

Neither of these cricketers had featured in international T20I cricket since 2024 for Pakistan after their humiliating exit from the ICC T20 World Cup of 2024. They have been further snubbed from the Pakistan national team due to their disastrous strike rate in international cricket.

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PCB Chief claims 'no role' in Babar Azam's snub from Asia Cup

Babar was not included in the final 17-member squad of the Asia Cup, since Fakhar Zaman returned to the side post his injury. Amid the speculation, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chief, has clarified that this decision was purely on the word of selectors and he had no role to play in it.

“First of all, I don’t have even 1% role in putting players into the team or taking them out,” Naqvi told reporters on Saturday.

“We have a selection committee and then an advisory body; they all sit together. The process goes through a lot — discussions that last 8–10 hours, sometimes for 2–3 days."

"Definitely, if a team is being selected, it’s in good hands, all professionals are there. I’ve only told them one thing — whatever decision they take, it should be on merit, and I will support that,” Naqvi added.

The Asia Cup 2025 squad for the Pakistan team has seen two new additions as per Mike Hesson's plans. First of all, it includes several players who are not only specialist batters but can contribute occasionally with the ball as well, since that has emerged as a huge demand for the shortest format of the game.

On the other hand, they have also emphasized players with a greater ability to hit the ball to the fence; the likes of Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, and Sahibzada Farhan all have greater strike rates in the format as compared to players like Babar Azam or Rizwan.

Naqvi underlined the long-term vision, adding, “With whatever lot was available, I polished it and carried it forward. Now our effort is to bring in as many new players as possible so that there is more competition in cricket and the best of the best can come forward.”

Mike Hesson cited BBL as an opportunity for Babar Azam to reclaim form

During the press release following Pakistan's announcement of the Asia Cup squad, the head coach, Mike Hesson, elaborated that Babar Azam has been asked to improve in some areas, which include batting against spin and his strike rate.

“At the moment, the players that we have, they have performed exceptionally well,” Hesson had said. “But certainly a player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and start to show that he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player for us not to consider.”

Salman Ali Agha has been named the new skipper of the Pakistan side for the Asia Cup.

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