Hesson Clarifies Babar Azam’s Role in T20I Team
Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, addressed media speculation on Thursday, asserting that Babar Azam is not being considered for a wicketkeeping role. Instead, he is vying for a position as an opening batsman in the T20I squad.
During a media interaction at the white-ball and pre-Bangladesh series camp, Hesson responded to inquiries regarding social media discussions about Babar’s potential wicketkeeping duties.
Hesson dismissed these claims with a smile, reaffirming Babar’s importance as a top-order batter in the T20 format.
“Babar Azam is definitely not an option for wicketkeeping. I am unsure where this idea originated, but I have been aware of the speculation,” Hesson stated.
“Currently, Babar is competing for one of the opening slots. At the moment, Fakhar [Zaman] and Saim [Ayub] are occupying those positions, so Babar is contending for that role,” he elaborated.
It’s worth noting that Babar has been absent from the national T20I team since their tour of South Africa in December 2024.
Another notable absence from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against Bangladesh is Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose last international T20 appearance was in March of this year.
Shaheen’s exclusion also prompted concerns about his future as a multi-format player for the team. Rumors circulated that Hesson had advised him to concentrate on specific formats.
However, Hesson refuted these claims, praising Shaheen as a world-class player and affirming his continued involvement in Pakistan’s white-ball plans, including T20Is.
“Shaheen Shah Afridi is undoubtedly a world-class player. We have identified certain areas where we believe Shaheen, like every player in this camp, needs to improve,” Hesson explained.
“The fact that he and others are participating in this camp indicates that they remain part of Pakistan’s broader strategy for white-ball cricket, which includes T20 cricket.
“Players experience periods of strong performance and times when their game dips slightly. Our role as coaches is to help our best players reach their potential and improve so they perform better when representing Pakistan.
“We certainly do not disregard quality players. We aim to collaborate with them to help them regain their strength.”
The T20I squad members for the Bangladesh series, along with five national players – Babar, Rizwan, Shaheen, Mohammad Wasim Jr, and Naseem Shah – are currently participating in a week-long training camp at the National Bank Stadium.
The training camp is scheduled to conclude on July 15, prior to the team’s departure for Bangladesh for the three-match series.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh T20I Series:
Salman Ali Agha (c), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza and Sufiyan Muqeem.
Players Called Up for the Camp:
Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi.
Series Schedule in Bangladesh
- July 16 – Pakistan men’s team arrival
- July 20 – First T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
- July 22 – Second T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
- July 24 – Third T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
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