Salman Ali Agha and Babar Azam [Source: AFP]Pakistan’s T20I captain, Salman Ali Agha, looked clearly annoyed during a recent press conference when once again most questions were directed at star batter Babar Azam.Ahead of Pakistan’s T20I series against Australia, Agha strongly reacted to the repeated focus on Babar’s form and urged the media to stop putting unnecessary pressure on one individual. He reminded everyone that cricket is a team sport and not just about one player.To begin with, Babar Azam has been under heavy scrutiny in recent months. After missing out on Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad, he made a return to the T20I team and was selected for both the Australia series and the upcoming T20 World Cup. However, his time in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL) did not go as planned, which once again brought him into the spotlight.Babar Azam’s BBL numbers raise concernsDuring the BBL, Babar played for the Sydney Sixers but failed to meet expectations. In 11 matches, he scored 202 runs, averaging just 22.44 with a strike rate of 103.06. For modern T20 cricket, these numbers were considered below par.Because of this, questions about Babar dominated the press conference. Salman Ali Agha, clearly frustrated, finally snapped. He openly said that he wished to attend a press conference one day without being asked about Babar Azam.Salman Ali Agha urges focus on the entire teamSalman Ali Agha pointed out that there are 14 other players in the squad who also deserve attention.“I wish someday I attend a press conference and not get asked about Babar Azam,” Salman said in the press conference. There are 14 other players, batsmen in the team, so think about them as well and talk about them too. Let him be and focus on batting."Moreover, Babar also found himself in controversial moments during the BBL. In one match, his opening partner Steve Smith denied him a single so he could keep strike during the power surge. Babar looked unhappy, and the incident quickly went viral.Salman Ali Agha backs Babar AzamAdditionally, some former cricketers even labeled him a “liability,” which further fueled online debates. Later, the Sydney Sixers released Babar due to his national commitments, and the team went on to reach the final, where they lost to the Perth Scorchers.Despite all the criticism, Salman Ali Agha firmly stood by his teammate. He admitted that Babar did not perform as expected in the BBL but made it clear that franchise cricket does not define a player’s value for Pakistan. “Look, I agree Babar did not play as per expectations in the BBL, but for us, he has been a proven performer always, so I have no issues. For me, it only matters how he plays for Pakistan. What he does in the BBL does not matter to me," he added.Looking ahead, Pakistan will host Australia for three T20I matches in Lahore on January 29, January 31, and February 1. This series will be an important preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka.
