• Home
  • Cricket Analysis
  • Babar Azam Committed To Bbl 4 Players Who Can Enter Pak Squad For Sl T20is As Replacement

Babar Azam committed to BBL: 4 players who can enter PAK squad for SL T20Is as replacement

Debashis Sarangi

Maaz could be a replacement for Babar [Source: AFP, @MaazSadaqat/X]Maaz could be a replacement for Babar [Source: AFP, @MaazSadaqat/X]

After securing clinical wins in the tri-nation tournament and the South Africa T20Is on home soil, Pakistan are gearing up to face Sri Lanka ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The highly anticipated series will serve as Pakistan's final dress rehearsal before the marquee event. However, the Men in Green might miss some of their key players, including Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi, who are currently featuring in the Big Bash League. 

On Wednesday, CA chief executive Todd Greenberg revealed that Pakistan's marquee cricketers- Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi- are among the committed players for the whole BBL season. 

So, considering the Sri Lanka series will collide with the BBL, ace batter Babar Azam might miss the international assignment and in that case, Pakistan might rope in one of the following players as his replacement.  

Maaz Sadaqat

Criterion
Data
Innings5
Runs258
Average129
Strike Rate177.93

(Maaz Sadaqat's stats in Asia Cup Rising Stars)

  • Young left-handed batter Maaz Sadaqat was magnificent in the recently held Asia Cup Rising Stars, playing a pivotal role in Pakistan Shaheens' remarkable title win. 
  • The top-order batter hammered 258 runs at an average of 129 and a strike rate of 177.93. He is an aggressive batter and can give Pakistan a flying start with his scintillating stroke play. Sadaqat has grabbed a million eyeballs with his flamboyance in the Nepal Premier League, striking at 152.70. 
  • So, with Babar Azam committed to the BBL, Pakistan can consider bringing in Maaz Sadaqat for the Sri Lanka series and give him a platform to showcase his mettle ahead of the T20 World Cup. 

Hasan Nawaz

Criterion
In top 4
In 5 and 6
Innings1014
Runs255212
Average31.8714.4
Strike Rate184.8127.8

(Hasan Nawaz's T20I record inside and outside top 4)

  • Hasan Nawaz is a destructive batter who showed glimpses of his brilliance before being sidelined due to poor form. Although he enjoyed stellar success while batting in top four, the return of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman pushed him down the order, where he couldn't adapt. 
  • However, if Babar is unavailable due to his Big Bash League commitments, Pakistan have a genuine chance to bring Hasan Nawaz back and utilise his hard-hitting prowess at the top order. 
  • He has done a tremendous job at the top, scoring 255 runs at a strike rate of 184.8. So, Nawaz's comeback can ensure dynamism in the Pakistani lineup, allowing Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan to play their natural game. 

Yasir Khan

Criterion
Data
Innings49
Runs1195
Average24.89
Strike Rate139.27

(Yasir Khan's BBL record)

  • 23-year-old batter Yasir Khan is one of the most explosive top-order batters in Pakistan's domestic circuit. 
  • The right-hander endured a string of failures in the Asia Cup Rising Stars; however, his overall numbers are impressive in the shortest format. 
  • Yasir Khan is a clean striker of the ball and his ability to decimate bowling attacks on a given day could help him make a wildcard entry to the Pakistan T20I squad in Babar's absence. 

Kamran Ghulam

  • Kamran Ghulam is a stylish right-handed batter known for his explosive batting style. 
  • Although he hasn't had a great international career so far, Kamran Ghulam is versatile and has shown his potential in the domestic circuit. Overall, he has amassed 1834 runs in 74 innings at an average of 30.06 and a strike rate of 129.15. 
  • Ghulam's ability to anchor the innings makes him Babar Azam's like-for-like replacement. He can also switch gears at will and his spin-hitting prowess could help him emerge as a potent weapon to counter the Sri Lankan spinners in the middle overs.