Better Numbers Than Fakhar: Why Babar Azam Should Be Picked In Pakistan's Asia Cup Team

Should Babar be back in Pakistan T20I squad? [Source: @dubai_152/x.com]

Pakistan once again snubbed Babar Azam from their T20I squad for the upcoming West Indies tour. Ever since Pakistan's embarrassing exit in the Champions Trophy, the selectors have not been keen on keeping Babar in the squad, and this was the third T20I series where he was neglected. It seems as if the Men in Green have moved on from their best batter.

Pakistan had a dismal showing against New Zealand in the T20I series, a couple of months ago, and they were humiliated by Bangladesh in the recently concluded T20Is. So, the question arises, should the selectors bring back Babar to bring some solidity in the side?.

What the T20I numbers tell about Babar Azam

When it comes to churning out numbers in T20I cricket, Babar Azam is right up there with some of the best in the business. He sits alongside Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, as the Pakistan star has the chance to surpass Rohit, and become the leading run-getter in this format.

(Babar Azam T20I stats)

• The stats clearly tell us that Babar has outstanding numbers in this format, but there is one chinks in his armour, and the main reason why he was dropped. His T20I strike rate is questionable (129), and this hindered the entire team.
• For the last few years, the narrative has been that Babar plays for himself, and his runs have often come at the cost of Pakistan losing.

Do Pakistan have better players now wiyth Babar gone?

Babar generally used to play at the opening slot, or at number 3. However, with fresh blood in the squad, the two slots are almost full. In the opening, Pakistan have Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, and Sahibzada Farhan, but do the three batters have a better strike rate than Babar?.

(Pakistan top order strike rates in T20Is)

• Babar was outcasted due to his low strike-rate, but judging by the above numbers, two out of three batters have questionable strike rates.
• Fakhar Zaman has a strike rate of just 132, while newcomer, Sahibzada Farhan strikes at 127, which is below Babar's overall T20I strike rate.
• Hence, if the Pakistan great was snubbed due to his strike rate, his replacements should also be questioned.

Is experience important for Pakistan?

Pakistan is a young team in transition, and the three series without Babar showcase Pakistan's inability to absorb pressure. They lost vs New Zealand, beat Bangladesh at home, and then lost against them recently.

So, the question arises, is experience important for Pakistan in the Asia Cup?. The Pakistan side has a relatively inexperienced side, and perhaps a bit more experience could benefit them in Asia Cup. The forgotten batter has a brilliant track-record in UAE, the venue for the upcoming Asia Cup.

(Babar in UAE)

• Yes, once again the strike rate is questionable, but even Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan's best T20I batter, has a strike rate of 108.46 in UAE, reflecting that the Men in Green needs someone, who can hold the fort from one end on slow, and sluggish UAE wickets. Hence, the team needs a bit of experience in the Asia Cup.

Conclusion

Babar may not be the perfect T20I batter, but he has similar numbers with the players who have replaced him in the side. UAE pitches demand a different ball-game altogether, and perhaps a bit of experience is needed in Pakistan camp in the Asia Cup 2025. Hence, Babar should be included in the team.

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