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Babar and Rizwan were left out of Pakistan’s 17-member Asia Cup 2025 squad on Sunday, August 17.
Mohammad Hafeez attacks Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Former captains Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan suffered a big setback on Sunday (August 17) when they were ignored by Pakistani selectors for a place in Men in Green’s 17-member Asia Cup 2025 squad. Babar and Rizwan are the top two run-getters for Pakistan in T20Is, but they haven’t played a T20I match for them in 2025. Many believed that for the premier continental event, the duo would be back in the team, but on Sunday, they were left out again along with fast bowler Naseem Shah.
Babar and Rizwan’s axe from the squad is the talk of the cricket world on Sunday. Many former greats and experts of the game have expressed concern over Pakistan’s selection committee’s decision, but former captain and star all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez is not surprised, and in fact, according to him, Babar and Rizwan are not key players for Pakistan any more.
He went on to say that calling Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will be unfair and wrong.
“Calling them (Babar and Rizwan) key players would be wrong and unfair. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket’s key players at the moment. Key players are those who win matches for Pakistan,” Hafeez said on his YouTube channel.
“If we look at the past year and a half to two years, the players showing consistent performance are Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz. Why aren’t we talking about them? They are the current players winning matches for Pakistan,” he added.
Hafeez feels Babar and Rizwan need to prove themselves as good players.
“I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results,” he remarked.
“Both need to be fully involved in the game; otherwise, results won’t come. The same goes for Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi; they are also not giving match-winning performances for Pakistan,” he added.
“We should focus on players who can contribute for the next 10–15 years. Our media criticises one or two players and hypes one or two others, which is wrong. We need to talk about those who are actually performing,” he noted.
“If we want to improve Pakistan cricket, those in the AC rooms and those executing plans on the ground must address these issues promptly,” he concluded.
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