Mickey Arthur Backs Babar Azam, Lauds Mohammad Rizwan

Mickey Arthur, the former head coach of Pakistan, has voiced his strong endorsement for star batsman Babar Azam, calling him “absolute class.” This comes despite Babar’s continued absence from the national T20I team.

In a recent interaction with a local sports outlet, Arthur made it clear that he would consistently choose Babar in his playing XI.

“It’s an interesting one. I would always have Babar Azam in the team,” Arthur stated.

“I think he’s a wonderful player. I’m not sure what’s happened over the past couple of years, but the Babar I know is absolute class,” he further commented.

Arthur, who previously coached Pakistan during a successful period in white-ball cricket, also acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s flexibility and skills behind the stumps.

“If Rizwan is your best wicketkeeper, then he has a role to play,” he observed.

“He can adapt his game to fit wherever the team needs him. It’s about making the most of his abilities,” he added.

Babar Azam, who has captained Pakistan in three ICC Men’s T20 World Cups (2021, 2022, and 2024), last participated in a T20I for Pakistan in December 2024.

Notably, he was excluded from the recent series against New Zealand in March.

The 30-year-old faced difficulties in the format, not achieving a half-century since his 75-run performance against Ireland in May 2024.

Regardless, Babar’s overall T20I statistics remain noteworthy, accumulating 4,223 runs in 128 matches with an average of 39.83, including three centuries and 36 half-centuries.

Earlier in the year, Babar and Rizwan were both omitted from the five-match T20I series held in New Zealand.

The selection committee explained that this decision aimed to offer opportunities to emerging players. Since then, neither Babar nor Rizwan has been named in T20I squads, including the forthcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh commencing on May 28 in Lahore.

Adding to the changes, Mohammad Rizwan was also replaced as T20I captain after only two series, with Salman Ali Agha taking over the role.

The upcoming series will also signify the first international matches for Pakistan under the guidance of newly appointed white-ball head coach Mike Hesson.

Initially, Bangladesh was scheduled to arrive in Pakistan in two groups on May 21 for a five-match T20I series, with the opening match set for May 25 in Faisalabad.

However, due to logistical issues and changing security considerations, the series has been modified to three matches, all of which will be held in Lahore.

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh T20Is: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub.

Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I series schedule: