Timidness Replaced By Aggression: How Babar, Rizwan Snub Revamped Pakistan's T20I Batting

Pakistan gets better without Babar, Rizwan [Source: AFP Photo]

Pakistan cricket team has had mixed fortunes in terms of results in 2025, as the Men in Green crashed out of the Champions Trophy group stage, and have been average in the T20I format. After the Champions Trophy crashing, Pakistan management decided to start a revolution - to build their team without Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.

PCB decided to remove Babar and Rizwan from their T20I setup, and despite mixed results in 2025, there is an area where Pakistan has improved, and it has happened without two of their biggest stars.

Pakistan dominate in six-hitting charts in 2025

Pakistan captain, Agha Salman demanded an aggressive brand of cricket from his team, and in 2025, the team has produced that to some extent. In just 19 matches, the Men in Green have smacked 152 sixes, which is the joint-most the team has ever smacked in T20Is in a calendar year.

In 2024, they also hammered 152 sixes, but the biggest difference was that it came in 27 matches, 8 more than the current scenario. Despite winning a few series and losing a couple, Pakistan batters have tried to adapt to a different style of batting and it has worked wonders for them.

Most sixes for Pakistan in a calendar year

• This has been the most prolific year for Pakistan in terms of six-hitting display, and with a couple of months still left in 2025, the tally could well reach the 200-mark.
• In 2025, Pakistan struck 8 sixes in one innings on average, while in 2024, they used to hammer 5.6 sixes per innings on average.

How Babar, Rizwan's absence benefitted Pakistan in six-hitting area

• Babar and Rizwan relied on their timing rather than hard-hitting in T20Is. However, in the last few years, T20 cricket has evolved, and no longer does the anchor role exist in this format. Babar has a strike rate of 129 in T20Is, while Rizwan strikes at 125, which is even lower than Babar's.
• The duo had high averages in this format, but their inability to score runs at a rapid rate hampered Pakistan cricket in T20Is. Hence, with the duo getting dropped, the Men in Green changed their approach, and the new aggressive way of playing paid dividends.

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