The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is planning to bring former skipper and star batter Babar Azam back to the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.
According to reports, the decision follows the national side’s batting struggles in the ongoing Asia Cup. Reports said that selector Aaqib Javed and head coach Mike Hesson previously supported a policy of giving opportunities to new players over established batters like Babar and Mohammad Rizwan. However, following the recent defeats against India, PCB officials have directed management to bring Babar back to the team.
A few days ago, officials even decided to send the senior batter to the UAE to join the Asia Cup squad. Organisers, however, informed the board that tournament rules prohibited squad changes unless a player sustained an injury.
Reports now claim a strong possibility of Babar’s return for the T20I series against South Africa.
Babar last played a T20 International match against South Africa in December. Since then, selectors have kept him out of the squad, citing concerns over his strike rate.
It may be noted that he is the second-highest run-scorer in T20 history (4,223 runs) globally, trailing only behind India’s Rohit Sharma. He also boasts the second-most fifties in T20I career history, among other significant records.