All posts tagged: Azam

Shan Masood sacked, Babar Azam returns as Pakistan Test captain for West Indies & England series

Shan Masood sacked, Babar Azam returns as Pakistan Test captain for West Indies & England series

Published by Webster

Shan Masood has been sacked as Pakistan Test captain, with former skipper Babar Azam once again appointed to lead the side, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Sunday. Babar will captain the team in the two-Test series against West Indies in the Caribbean starting July 25, and will also lead in the three-match Test series against England from August 19 as part of the ongoing World Test Championship. Aaqib Javed, Pakistan’s high-performance director, explained that the decision to change the captaincy was driven by the repetitive nature of Pakistan’s Test defeats and their inability to recover from losing positions. He noted that while the team had been involved in several close matches under Masood’s leadership, certain recurring issues remained unaddressed. “We saw many close Test matches (under Shan’s captaincy). But a few things were not being addressed. Like the Centurion Test, South Africa’s two batters at No. 10 [for the tenth wicket] put on a 60-70 run partnership (51 runs). The game was in our hands. Against the West Indies in Multan, in the second …

Why is Babar Azam not playing in Pakistan’s first Test vs Bangladesh in Mirpur?

Why is Babar Azam not playing in Pakistan’s first Test vs Bangladesh in Mirpur?

Published by Webster

2 min readMay 8, 2026 12:16 PM IST The opening Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan got underway in Mirpur on Friday, but star batter Babar Azam was missing from Pakistan’s playing XI. The former captain was ruled out on the eve of the match due to a left knee injury. The Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday. “Batter Babar Azam will not be available for the first Test against Bangladesh due to a left knee injury. The team’s medical panel is currently assessing his condition. Further updates will be shared in due course,” the statement read. The team management did not specify whether Babar would be ruled out of the entire series, adding only that his condition was being closely monitored. Speaking after winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood said the decision to rule Babar out came late and the team could not afford to risk him. “Unfortunately, Babar is out. It’s a late call. We can’t take a risk with him, but …

‘Tension na lein, teeno format kheloonga’: Babar Azam shuts down talk of him not playing all 3 formats for Pakistan | Cricket News

‘Tension na lein, teeno format kheloonga’: Babar Azam shuts down talk of him not playing all 3 formats for Pakistan | Cricket News

Published by Webster

4 min readMay 4, 2026 10:03 AM IST After dragging his team Peshawar Zalmi to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) title as the captain and the top scorer in the league, Babar Azam has shut down talk that he could focus on select formats. In his press conference after Zalmi won the PSL 11 title — thanks to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen — Babar cut short a reporter’s question asking him if he would focus on specific formats. ‘Tension na lein, teeno format kheloonga (Don’t stress, I will play in all three formats),’ Babar told the journalist after interrupting his question. Babar then continued: “It’s not for the player to decide [which format to skip]; a player’s job is to play. In my opinion, every player should play every form of cricket. You shouldn’t focus only on the white ball or T20s. Red-ball cricket gives you immense experience. It teaches you how to build an innings and gives you patience. When you play four-day cricket or any domestic circuit, you gain the experience …

‘Personal attacks’: Babar Azam doesn’t hold back, goes off on the 90s vs current Pakistan players debate

‘Personal attacks’: Babar Azam doesn’t hold back, goes off on the 90s vs current Pakistan players debate

Published by Parlour News

Salman Ali Agha-led Pakistan had a dismal T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, failing to qualify for the semi-finals. However, apart from the poor performance on the field, the Pakistan squad’s players were seen having back-and-forth with former cricketers, and Shadab Khan was right at the centre of a major controversy. After the loss against India in Colombo, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf called for Shadab to be dropped from the team, and in response, the all-rounder questioned the credentials of the two, saying they had never been part of a team that beat India in the World Cup. Pakistan’s Babar Azam runs between the wickets. (AFP) Two months after this row, Pakistan batter Babar Azam, who is currently leading Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, weighed in on the constant tussle between former and current Pakistan players, saying there needs to be respect and one shouldn’t resort to personal attacks. Babar sided with Shadab, saying he doesn’t understand why a controversy is created when a current player speaks up for himself, but …

Babar Azam matches record held by Virat Kohli, Abhishek Sharma with blistering 2nd century in 4 PSL matches | Cricket News

Babar Azam matches record held by Virat Kohli, Abhishek Sharma with blistering 2nd century in 4 PSL matches | Cricket News

Published by Webster

2 min readUpdated: Apr 29, 2026 06:27 PM IST Babar Azam’s incredibly long dry run has made the former Pakistan captain the subject of multiple jokes and headlines but the 31-year-old has recently shown signs of a revival. Playing for Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League, Babar is the highest run scorer so far in the season having made 588 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 146.26 and average of 84. He scored his second century in four matches on Tuesday and with that, he equalled a record was held jointly by India’s Virat Kohli and Abhishek Sharma. Babar’s 103 in 59 balls was his eighth T20 century in matches played in Pakistan. That is level with Kohli and Abhishek for most centuries by a player in a single country in men’s T20s. It was also Babar’s fourth PSL century, which makes him the joint-most prolific centurion in the PSL along with Usman Khan. Additionally, this was Babar’s ninth century as a captain of a team in the format. It broke …

Pakistan cricket crisis: Aaqib Javed stands by Babar Azam selection, launches probe Into Fakhar Zamaan injury mystery | Cricket News

Pakistan cricket crisis: Aaqib Javed stands by Babar Azam selection, launches probe Into Fakhar Zamaan injury mystery | Cricket News

Published by Webster

Chief selector Aaqib Javed fronted a combative press conference alongside Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed on Saturday, defending the decision to take Babar Azam to the T20 World Cup, announcing a formal inquiry into the post-tournament injuries of Fakhar Zamaan and Naseem Shah, and urging Pakistan’s cricketing public to break its habit of demanding wholesale change after every defeat. Babar’s recall to the T20 squad despite poor form in the format was the sharpest line of questioning. Javed said the thinking was rooted in Sri Lanka’s spin-friendly, low-scoring conditions, where an anchor batter capable of holding an innings together had tactical value — regardless of strike rate. “Being in the 15 does not mean he had to play every match. The coach and captain had the freedom to use him where conditions demanded a technically sound batsman,” Aaqib Javed said. Babar is currently sidelined with a finger injury and unavailable for the ongoing Bangladesh series. Javed turned the question around: “If we had reached the semi-finals, would he even have been fit to play? That is …

Babar Azam mentally unfit, not injured — Basit Ali

Babar Azam mentally unfit, not injured — Basit Ali

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 14, 2026 07:44 PM IST Former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali has flatly rejected the official explanation for Babar Azam’s absence from the national squad, saying the star batter is dealing with a mental problem — not a physical injury. Basit told his YouTube channel BasitAliShow that Babar’s batting and fielding showed no signs of a physical ailment, attributing the slump to poor man-management and the decision to bat him at number four. He said Babar has a fragile confidence and that whoever is currently in his ear has too much sway over his state of mind. “Babar Azam is mentally unfit,” Basit said. “Physically unfit he is not.” (Babar Azam mentally unfit hai. Physically unfit nahin hai.) He added that it was for the best Babar had not been selected — he would not have performed in his current state of mind anyway. Basit was equally blunt about white-ball head coach Mike Hesson, the former New Zealand coach appointed by the PCB in May 2025, accusing him of overstepping his role by …

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson says excluding Babar Azam, Saim Ayub is about building for 2027 ODI World Cup

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson says excluding Babar Azam, Saim Ayub is about building for 2027 ODI World Cup

Published by Webster

3 min readUpdated: Mar 9, 2026 10:20 PM IST Days after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made a bold move by dropping big names like Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, and Naseem Shah from the ODI series against Bangladesh, Pakistan’s white-ball coach Mike Hesson said that the exclusion of these senior players should not be considered as punishment for non-performance in the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. “I wouldn’t say anyone was dropped. We just see this series as an opportunity to give these promising players a chance to prove themselves,” Hesson was quoted as saying by PTI. Hesson insisted that Pakistan have had scant opportunities to test young, promising talent. He said with the ODI World Cup scheduled for next year, they wanted to see how these players respond. “Sahabzada Farhan has forced himself into the ODI squad because of his exceptional performances in T20s, and young players like Shamyl Hussain or Maaz Sadaqat have been doing well in domestic cricket and junior sides. The series will …

Pakistan Cricket Under Fire After Babar Azam Dropped from ODIs

Pakistan Cricket Under Fire After Babar Azam Dropped from ODIs

Published by Webster

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s recent ODI squad announcement has raised eyebrows among former Pakistan cricketers, triggering a new controversy. Former captain Babar Azam has been left out of the 15-member squad for the ODI series in Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh 2026. Alongside Babar Azam, young opener Saim Ayub has also been excluded from the squad following the returns from white-ball assignments. Despite Pakistan’s previous ODI series against Sri Lanka last year, he scored 165 runs across three matches and finally registered his long-awaited 20th ODI century. Babar Azam has accumulated 544 runs in 17 ODIs at an average of 34.00, including one hundred and three half-centuries. Meanwhile, Saim Ayub has featured in eight ODIs in 2025 and scored 236 runs at an average of 29.50 with two fifties to his name. The omission has drawn criticism from several former Pakistani cricketers, who have questioned the selectors’ thinking. Former fast bowler Mohammad Amir has questioned decision’s based on form or simply a strategic rest. “Did you drop Saim and Babar from ODI cricket because of their …

Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan’s ODI squad for Bangladesh tour | Cricket News

Babar Azam dropped from Pakistan’s ODI squad for Bangladesh tour | Cricket News

Published by Webster

3 min readMar 4, 2026 09:46 PM IST After an underwhelming T20 World Cup, Pakistan cricket management have decided to drop star batter Babar Azam from the side that will tour Bangladesh for a three-match series from next week. Babar had scored a century in the last series Pakistan cricket team played in the One Day International format—a 102 against Sri Lanka in November—but faced the axe when the 15-member squad was named. Left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi has been handed the captaincy of the side for the three-match series while ⁠six uncapped players have been called up, including Abdul Samad, Maaz Sadaqat, Saad Masood ⁠and ‌Shamyl Hussain who played against the England Lions ‌in Abu Dhabi before the series was called off due ‌to the conflict in the Middle East. Pakistan cricketers were reportedly fined $18,000 each after the team’s failure to reach the T20 World Cup semifinals. Besides Pakistan coach Mike Hesson and captain Salman Ali Agha, Babar also came under withering criticism during the T20 World Cup where Pakistan failed to reach …