Babar Azam's 3 Potential Replacements In Pakistan Team

Babar Azam replacements in ODIs [Source: X]

For some reason, Pakistan selectors made a strange call to include Babar Azam in their T20 World Cup squad, and they eventually regretted the decision as the star batter was demoted in the batting order and was publicly criticised for his sluggish T20 batting. Eventually, the decision to include him came back to haunt Pakistan as he failed to deliver.

After Pakistan’s embarrassing T20 World Cup exit, every player in the team was fined by the PCB, including Babar. Pakistan will next be seen in action against Bangladesh in an ODI series, and if the latest reports are to be believed, then Babar is not in the scheme of things.

The star batter is likely to be dropped from the ODIs as a result of his poor performances in the World Cup 2026. In this article, we take a look at Babar Azam’s 3 potential replacements for the Bangladesh ODIs, if Babar is not picked by the selectors.

Why Babar is likely to be dropped

Not only his T20I batting, but also his ODI performances have seen a sharp dip. Yes, he scored a century against Sri Lanka in the last ODI tour, but the overall numbers reflect a sorry state of affairs.

(Babar Azam ODI stats in 2025)

• He played 17 ODI matches in 2025, and the batter just scored 544 runs, with an average of 34, and a strike rate of just 77.
• He played mostly on flat wickets, and yet, the strike rate was questionable as Babar couldn’t do much in the ODI format.

Hence, here are the 3 players who should replace Babar in the upcoming ODI series.

1) Sahibzada Farhan

While Babar had a horror show at the T20 World Cup 2026, Sahibzada Farhan, his teammate was at the peak of his powers as the righty batter broke Virat Kohli’s record of most runs scored in a single T20 World Cup edition.

He finished with 383 runs in just six innings, and it also included two centuries in the tournament. However, he shouldn’t solely be selected on the basis of his T20 World Cup run, but the fans need to have a look at his List-A record as well.

(Sahibzada Farhan List-A stats)

• Farhan has played 72 List-A games and has racked up 2926 runs, with an average of 41.80, and a strike rate of 85. With reports of Saim Ayub also unable for the Bangladesh ODIs, Pakistan need openers in the team, and Farhan could be a solid choice.
• He can score runs quickly, and unlike Babar, has adapted to tricky conditions, as witnessed in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Also Read: Pakistan Players Who Have Played Their Last T20 World Cup In 2026 Ft. Babar Azam

2) Sameer Minhas

Reports stated that Pakistan wants to try out youngsters in place of Babar and other non-performers in the team, and in the current setup, there is no better young talent available than Sameer Minhas. He was the one who destroyed India in the Under-19 Asia Cup final with a whirlwind 172, and Pakistan could take a call on him for the Bangladesh tour.

He brings an aggressive approach to the table and is also a brilliant spin-hitter, a trait that is needed on slow and sluggish Bangladesh wickets. Minhas recently did well in the Youth ODIs against the Kiwis, and expect the selectors to fast-tracked in the ODI setup.

3) Khawaja Nafay

After a sensational run in the youth T20 matches, Khawaja Nafay was fast-tracked in the Pakistan T20I setup and was also included in the World Cup 2026 squad. He did manage to play a couple of games, and while the scores weren’t big, the promise shown was real.

Just like Minhas, Nafay is young, has shown a lot of promise, and is an aggressive batter, a trait that the team desperately needs in the middle-order. Nafay showed tons of promise in the T20I matches that he has played for the nation, and the team should give him a longer rope in the ODIs.

Also Read: South Africa Coach Shukri Conrad Directly Attacks ICC Broadcaster For T20 World Cup