Babar Azam and Rizwan together for Pakistan (Source: AFP)
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, two of the most high-profile batters in Pakistan, are likely to be ignored again for the T20I series against South Africa. The two superstars have not played T20Is for Pakistan in 2025, and it seems that selectors are currently not keen to bring them back into the setup for the shortest format.
After the poor performance of many Pakistan batters in the Asia Cup 2025, there were reports that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan would return to T20Is. It was believed that Babar Azam's form would be monitored before making the final call, and after his failure against South Africa in Tests, it seems that selectors want to continue with the young brigade under Salman Ali Agha.
According to Sohail Imran from Geo News, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are unlikely to feature in the T20I series. Qadir Khawaja, too, has confirmed the development on his Instagram handle. However, there would be two to three changes from the T20I squad that played in the Asia Cup.
ODI captain Shaheen Afridi to be rested; selectors likely to back Asia Cup core
Shaheen Afridi is likely to be rested to manage his workload. The pacer featured in both the Test matches against South Africa and has also been appointed as the ODI captain. Thus, he is likely to get a break before he starts his journey as ODI skipper.
The Geo News report further states that Khushdil Shah and Hussain Talat, who were part of the Asia Cup squad, are likely to face the axe. There is also no confirmation on Haris Rauf's inclusion, while Irfan Khan Niazi and Naseem Shah are strong contenders to make a return.
The exclusion of Mohammad Rizwan means that Mohammad Haris will continue to keep wickets in T20Is despite his inconsistent show. The selectors are also set to back Saim Ayub despite his horror Asia Cup performance, and overall, Pakistan are likely to keep their Asia Cup core intact for the T20I series against South Africa.
The first T20I will be played in Rawalpindi on October 28, while the last two matches will be at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
.jpg)
