Babar Azam retained by Peshawar Zalmi despite BBL humiliation

Babar Azam has been secured by Peshawar Zalmi for PSL 2026 [Source: X]

Pakistan Super League 2026 edition is set for a complete makeover and, ahead of that, Babar Azam has been retained by his old franchise Peshawar Zalmi before the PSL 11 auction is scheduled to take place.

Babar Azam has been retained in the Platinum category by the Peshawar Zalmi franchise, as all the other old franchises too, alongside Hyderabad and Sialkot, will be revealing their retentions soon.

The franchise showed trust in him despite his failure in the recently concluded BBL stint with Sydney Sixers.

Peshawar Zalmi show faith on Babar Azam

With Babar Azam’s retention by Peshawar Zalmi, for whom he has played for the last three seasons since 2023, the team seems to have backed their captain ahead of the complete makeover of the tournament.

Babar Azam has 1,379 runs for Peshawar Zalmi from his 32 appearances. In the last season, Babar Azam made 288 runs at an average of 36, while facing 224 balls at a strike rate of 128.57.

Though Babar Azam has failed to help Zalmi lift the PSL trophy, Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi’s faith in the Pakistan veteran batter remains unmatched. This breaks the hopes of new franchises like Hyderabad and Sialkot, who were looking forward to securing the services of the star Pakistan batter.

As per reports, Pakistan spinner Sufiyan Muqeem has also been secured by Peshawar Zalmi, as they retained the player in the Diamond category for $170,000.

Babar Azam retention amid exit controversy

Babar Azam’s retention, however, came amidst speculation of an exit in 2025, after he was reportedly considering refusing the 2026 retainer due to disagreements over retention and financial conditions.

Babar Azam also faced scrutiny because of the slow strike rate he displayed in the 2025 season, contrary to his previous two seasons, where he boasted a 140-plus strike rate while maintaining solid averages of 52 and 56.

The Zalmi management has secured Babar Azam in the Platinum category with approximately $151,000 base price. However, as per retention rules, Babar Azam might receive an additional bonus on top of the 42 million rupees salary.

Notably, regarding the PSL 2026 auction, February 3 is also the last chance for foreign players to register for the PSL auction. After February 3, the spots for the foreign players category will be locked.

Babar’s concerning recent T20 form

For the unaware, Babar Azam has struggled for form in the recently concluded Australia series, though he was better than in some of his previous outings. In the Australia series, he scored 76 runs from three matches, including a half-century.

In the Big Bash League, playing for Sydney Sixers, Babar Azam could only score 202 runs from his 11 outings, averaging a modest 22.44 with a disappointing strike rate of 103.06.

Amid these form woes and concerns over his T20 strike rate, Peshawar Zalmi’s faith in the cricketer underlines his importance to the franchise, as Babar Azam will look to recover and return to his best form.