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Babar Azam and PCB's Mohsin Naqvi in frame. Credits- AFP/AP
Babar Azam recently made history when he led Peshawar Zalmi to the title in the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2026). The prolific batter was also the leading run getter of the season with 588 runs at a whopping strike rate close to 150.
Since winning the championship, reports have circulated in media circles about Babar Azam being reinstated as Pakistan's T20I captain.
Notably, the current T20I skipper, Salman Ali Agha, recently spoke about taking a break from his duties in the shortest format to concentrate more on Tests and ODIs. Agha's bold claims, amid a poor PSL 2026 season, allegedly sparked a buzz in Pakistan Cricket about finding a new T20I captain.
Babar Azam denied as Pakistan's T20I captain
Putting all rumours to rest, a report from Pakistan's leading publication, The Express Tribune, has emerged calling about Babar Azam's future as captain.
Despite a gun season, both as captain and a batter, the 31-year-old is not looked as a replacement for Salman Ali Agha to hold the reins of the T20I side.
"Sources added that T20 is now a format suited to modern, aggressive young players, and preference will be given to them. In the past, white-ball coach Mike Hesson had also opposed including Babar Azam in the T20 setup," the report from The Express Tribune stated.
Moreover, the Pakistan team management's currently focused on the Test and ODI formats.
"Sources said that the think tank has not discussed any such move so far. The current focus is on Test matches in order to achieve better results in the ICC Championship. T20 cricket will be considered when the time comes," the report further added.
Babar Azam's shambolic run in T20 WC 2026
Babar Azam is the leading run-getter in T20Is, with 4596 runs in 145 matches at a strike rate of 128. Despite a questionable strike rate, Babar was added to Pakistan's squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup for his sheer experience.
However, the Babar Azam move backfired as he had a forgettable campaign. Just like Pakistan, their star batter batted tanked at the big stage, returning with just 91 runs in four innings.
After the marquee tournament, the former Pakistan captain was dropped from the ODI squad for the tour of Bangladesh. However, he worked on his game to redeem himself in the PSL 2026. As a result, a refined Babar equalled Fakhar Zaman's record for most runs scored in a single season.
Why Babar Azam is not playing BAN vs PAK 1st Test?
According to the Pakistan team management, Babar Azam sustained a knee injury ahead of the Mirpur Test between Bangladesh and Pakistan, which began Friday. However, some reports also state that Babar is dropped with the think tank looking to test fresh faces.
Meanwhile, Babar has been in poor form, especially in the longest format, since 2023. The talented batter has failed to register even a single Test century in the last three years. Moreover, Babar has averaged 22.66 (in 2023), 20.20 (2024), and 31.50 (2025), respectively.
It would be interesting to see whether Babar Azam will be included for the second Test match of the series.
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