Babar Azam recalled as Pakistan announce T20 World Cup squad amid fitness uncertainty
Former skipper Babar Azam has been recalled to Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, announced a day after the country’s cricket board chief questioned the team’s participation in the tournament, set to begin on February 7.
The 15-member squad will be captained by Salman Ali Agha, with pace bowler Haris Rauf omitted from the lineup. The announcement was made on Saturday despite lingering uncertainty over Pakistan’s involvement in the global event.
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi, who also serves as Pakistan’s interior minister, said the board was still waiting for government clearance before confirming the team’s participation, following the International Cricket Council’s decision to remove Bangladesh for declining to play matches in India.
Despite the uncertainty, the PCB unveiled its squad for the tournament later the same day. Chief selector Aaqib Javed stressed that the final decision on travel would rest with the government, noting that authorities would determine whether the team heads would travel to Sri Lanka.
“Our responsibility is limited to selecting the squad,” Javed said after the announcement in Lahore. “We have named the team close to the deadline, but participation is a government matter. As the chairman has said, we will wait for their decision.”
While India is set to host most of the T20 World Cup fixtures, Pakistan are scheduled to play all of its matches in Sri Lanka due to ongoing political tensions between the two neighbours. Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland after the ICC rejected Dhaka’s security concerns over touring India.
Alongside Babar Azam, spin all-rounder Shadab Khan and fast bowler Naseem Shah have been recalled, while wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan was left out of the squad.
Pakistan’s selectors have left out fast bowler Mohammad Wasim from the 16-man squad named for next week’s three-match T20 series against Australia in Lahore, while Haris Rauf remains sidelined after not featuring since the Asia Cup in September.
Despite a modest Big Bash League campaign, Babar Azam has retained the selectors’ backing. The former captain scored 202 runs at a strike rate of 103.06 in 11 matches as an opener for the Sydney Sixers, but head coach Mike Hesson made clear that Babar is not being considered for an opening role at the World Cup.
“We don’t see him opening the batting there,” Hesson said. “Powerplay aggression is critical, and that’s why he hasn’t opened for us.”
Hesson explained that Babar’s value lies in his ability to manage the middle overs, particularly on slower surfaces in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan are scheduled to play all their matches, including potential knockout games.
“He has the skill to control the middle phase and rotate the strike,” Hesson said. “If we are chasing a modest target, he can steady the innings and manage the chase. Conditions in Australia are very different from what we expect in Sri Lanka, and that was factored into our planning.”
The selectors opted for a three-pronged pace attack of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Salman Mirza and Naseem Shah, citing their effectiveness across all phases of a T20 innings.
Anticipating spin-friendly conditions, Pakistan have also named four specialist spinners: Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan, Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq.
Pakistan will open their Group A campaign against the Netherlands on February 7, before facing the United States on February 10, India on February 15 and Namibia on February 18.
Pakistan T20 World Cup squad:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq.
