Revealed- Why Babar Azam Is Not Playing National T20 Cup Match For Lahore Whites

Babar Azam in Pakistan cricket team jersey [Source: X]

Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam has just returned from a woeful T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, and even though there had been talks of him featuring for Lahore Whites in the 18-team National T20 Cup 2026, he was not present for the opening clash for his team against the Peshawar region.

Babar Azam, who had a rather disappointing campaign, averaging only 22.75 from his four matches in the World Cup, has skipped the Pakistan domestic cup opener, where his team Lahore Whites is led by captain Aamir Jamal and features talents like Ali Raza, Mohammad Mohsin, Kamran Afzal, and Junaid Ali among others.

Babar’s Return In Domestic Cricket Delayed

After Babar Azam faced a snub from Pakistan’s ODI squad for the Bangladesh tour. The star batter had turned towards domestic cricket after being named in the Lahore Whites squad.

However, Babar, who was not part of the initially announced squad in the National T20 Cup, was added to the line-up later, only for fans to be disappointed after the 31-year-old was declared by Aamir Jamal, the captain, as unavailable for the match.

Babar, who has over 11,900 runs in T20s at an average of 41.91 and a strike rate of 128.31, was ultimately not named in the playing XI for the first match that was scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m. IST. During the toss, the captain declared Babar's exclusion.

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Aamir Jamal Explains The Exclusion of Babar Azam

Aamir Jamal came forward to declare Babar's absence from the match. He stated, “Babar is not playing today. Hopefully, he will join us for the next game.”

Without further explanation or clarification regarding the detailed reason behind Babar's absence, it appears that the star Pakistan cricketer is set for a delayed arrival to the team.

With their next match scheduled against the Faisalabad Region on March 9, the team might see Babar feature in that game as the Men in Green is currently looking to rejuvenate after their Super 8 exit from the T20 World Cup 2026.

National T20 Cup Features Prominent Stars

Alongside Babar, several international players like Naseem Shah, Aamir Jamal, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, and Usama Mir are playing in the National T20 Cup.

Notably, the teams will play their final match on March 18 in Peshawar, with Semifinal 1 and Semifinal 2 scheduled on the same day, March 17.

While other stars are also set to feature in this tournament after a long hiatus, Babar Azam's return has not been finalised yet, although his appearance in the cup is expected soon.

Pakistan’s Sad Exit From T20 World Cup 2026

Meanwhile, the Green jerseys, who had a solid run in their group-stage matches in the T20 World Cup 2026, were knocked out in the Super 8 stage after a net run-rate battle with New Zealand, which cost them a place in the semi-finals.

An abandoned match and a loss against England hurt Pakistan, even though they had dominantly marched into the Super 8 stage following a strong group-stage display.

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