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The National
5 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan can come back into Pakistan's T20 team - here's how
For close to five years, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been the faces of Pakistan cricket. The pair have played a significant role in numerous victories, none more memorable than their unbeaten partnership of 152 runs that handed Pakistan their first win against India in the ICC men's World Cup of any format in Dubai in 2021. Yet, for the third consecutive T20 International series this year, including a tour to New Zealand, a home series against Bangladesh, and the upcoming Bangladesh tour, neither player has been selected for the T20 squad. The omission comes despite them being the top two run-scorers in the world in T20Is over the past five years. Rizwan has amassed 3,229 runs while Babar has 2,752, but they have done so at strike rates hovering just below 130, a figure which is seen as outdated in modern T20 cricket. Starting from the tour of New Zealand earlier this year, Pakistan's selection strategy for T20 cricket has had a noticeable shift. The focus has moved away from runs accumulation to intent, impact and strike rate. As a result, the quickest two centuries in Pakistan's T20I history happened this year: Hasan Nawaz's 44-ball ton in Auckland and Mohammad Haris' 45-ball century in Lahore. In the recent series against Bangladesh, Pakistan also scored back-to-back 200s for the first time in seven years. This new approach is also reflected in the recently selected squad for the Bangladesh series, which features five of the top seven T20 batters by strike rate since the start of 2024: Hasan Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Haris and Khushdil Shah. The two from the top seven missing out are Azam Khan, largely due to fitness concerns, and Haider Ali, who appears to have been ignored after being given multiple opportunities in recent years. Though it can be argued perhaps Haider deserved another go as a late-order hitter, potentially in place of Hussain Talat. The presence of Salman Agha and Talat, batters whose strike rates are relatively modest, suggests that Pakistan haven't entirely abandoned the idea of including anchors. Among Pakistani batters with at least 500 T20 runs since 2024, Talat ranks 14th in strike rate (136.72), Agha sits 18th (133.44) and Babar, just a step behind, ranks 19th (132.20). Agha might not be an explosive batter, but his leadership has been a driving force behind Pakistan 's move to high-intent batting and for that reason he does not occupy a specific spot in the batting order. During the recent Bangladesh series, he had three 50s in four innings. Even so, he demoted himself to number five to provide a better combination to the team. That is something which Pakistan's erstwhile captains were reluctant to do. Agha's value as an off-spinning option only strengthens his place in the squad. That said, it does not mean it is the end of the road for Babar and Rizwan in T20s. Both have been a part of Pakistan's training camp in Karachi where Mike Hesson, the team's white-ball coach, threw some weight behind Babar. 'Babar is competing with one of the opening positions at the moment. We have Fakhar and Saim in those roles at the moment, so he is competing for that,' Hesson said. Another factor that could go in favour of Babar is the next two important events: the T20 Asia Cup, for which UAE is the likely venue, and the T20 World Cup, where Pakistan will play all matches in Sri Lanka under the hybrid-model agreed with India. Both tournaments might produce a few games where totals close to 160 are par. The scoring rates in UAE (8.03) and Sri Lanka (7.87) in T20s since the start of 2024 are modest compared to the other major host nations. Plus, the pressure of high-octane games in the global events might occasionally require a batting style where you need to occupy the crease. In such environments, where power-hitting can be neutralised by a sticky pitch and scoreboard pressure, you might need more than one anchor in the team. Recent history backs this: three of the past six matches in the knockout stages of T20 World Cup – the final in Melbourne in 2022 and the semi-finals in Guyana and Trinidad in 2024 – didn't demand extraordinary strike-rates. All eight T20 World Cup clashes between India and Pakistan have produced low to moderate totals, the highest being India's 160 in Melbourne in 2022. Hesson's remarks also hint that despite Sahibzada Farhan's stellar form in 2025, in which he has most sixes (67) by a batter from Pakistan and four centuries, he may not be in the first choice XI. With Haris and Hasan Nawaz now at number three and four positions, Agha fluctuating in the middle-order and Fakhar and Saim preferred as openers, Farhan might find himself on the fringes despite his stunning record. And if that happens, Babar and Rizwan might not just be competing with Saim and Fakhar but also Farhan. Looking ahead, Pakistan have enough fixtures to optimise their squad before the 2026 T20 World Cup, scheduled for February and March in India and Sri Lanka. With at least 20 T20s, and up to 24 should Pakistan reach the Asia Cup final, Pakistan have ample opportunity for experimentation and refinement. But as Pakistan do not have any domestic T20s before the T20 World Cup, the only way Babar and Rizwan can reclaim their positions is by doing through something extraordinary in ODI cricket, a format in which Pakistan are scheduled to play nine matches (three each against West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka), or by putting a strong show in the Big Bash League where the duo are set to debut in December. Pakistan's upcoming T20 fixtures July - Bangladesh (Away, 3 matches) July-August - West Indies (Away, 3 matches) August - Afghanistan (Home, 3 matches) September - Asia Cup (Away, 2 to 6 matches) October - South Africa (Home, 3 matches) November - Sri Lanka (Home, 3 matches) February - Australia (Home, 3 matches) Pakistan's squad for Bangladesh T20I series Probable XI: Saim Ayub, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hasan Nawaz, Salman Agha, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Sufyan Moqim.
Express Tribune
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Express Tribune
'Excited to have Shaheen in Brisbane'
The likes of Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Haris Rauf will be seen playing against each other during the Australian summer and thus, it is safe to say that a lot of people from Pakistan would be excited for the BBL 2025/26. As Brisbane Heat managed to pick Afridi, their head coach, Johan Botha, seemed very pleased to have the star pacer in his side. The former South African captain himself has been a part of various T20 leagues including the Pakistan Super League (PSL), and has an impressive CV as a T20 player. As a matter of fact, he has coached several franchises across the globe too. During an exclusive interview with Arvind Kalyana Krishnan during the BBL 15 Draft in Melbourne, Johan Botha expressed his excitement about getting Shaheen, and spoke about the fans and support he'll be getting along with him. The former Proteas all-rounder drew light on the prospect of all the Pakistani players playing against one another, and the amount of fan following they have. Botha stated that it was a big tick for the BBL in terms of popularising the tournament. "We've very excited (to get Shaheen Afridi). You know, I think the whole BBL now! With Babar going to Sydney, Shadab is back, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan.....I think that's a big tick for the Big Bash. "I think it'll bring a lot of interest, and especially when you have those guys play against each other, I think that will you know get crowds in through the gates and that's ultimately what it is. "It's entertainment and we're look into those match-ups. You know I've been at PSL quite a lot and it's exciting to see the best players going against each other," said Johan Botha. Shaheen Afridi has grabbed the cricketing headlines in Australia as Brisbane Heat managed to acquire his services during the recently-concluded KFC Big Bash League 15 Draft. Brisbane Heat were quick to get the pacer as he was their first pick on June 19. Post which, several other star cricketers from Pakistan were picked by various teams during the BBL 15 overseas player draft. Further on, the 43-year-old also spoke about South Africa winning the World Test Championship 2025. As a former South African cricketer and skipper himself, Botha felt that the "Rainbow Nation" winning their second ICC tournament was massive for the cricketing world. He also spoke about how some of the Proteas players still rate Test cricket very highly and want to continue playing the longest format of the game. The Temba Bavuma-led side had beaten Australia at Lord's during the WTC 2025 Final with Aiden Markram hitting a scintillating century in the fourth innings to deny the Pat Cunmins-led side their second WTC title. "South Africa winning is massive. You know, following that over the last few days obviously. A huge win for South Africa. Their rugby has done so well for a long time and it's nice to finally see the cricket guys get over the line and it's huge for cricket. "Even those guys in the team speaking about important Test cricket still is. You know when I was there and playing, you always felt that guys want to play One-day cricket to playing franchise cricket, but it's great to hear that top players still speak so highly of Test cricket and yeah, it's exciting and hopefully that you know those young guys can come through and play Test cricket for South Africa," he said.
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
BBL Draft 2025: Full list of international stars picked; player signings ahead of Season 15
A total of 24 international players were picked by the eight Big Bash League (BBL) franchises during the Draft for Season 15 on Thursday in Melbourne. As many as seven Pakistani, 12 English, 4 Kiwis, and one Bangladeshi cricketers were among the international stars picked. ALSO READ | WBBL Draft 2025: Jemimah Rodrigues only Indian picked amidst 23 international stars; full list of player signings Pacer Shaheen Afridi headlined the group of Pakistani players confirmed for the tournament. Along with Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Babar Azam (pre-signed) were drafted in the Platinum category. Meanwhile, Hasan Ali, Shadab Khan and Hasan Khan were drafted in the Gold category. Rishad Hossain was the sole Bangladeshi player picked in the Draft. BBL Draft - Round 1: Brisbane Heat - Shaheen Afridi (Platinum) Adelaide Strikers - Luke Wood (Platinum) Melbourne Renegades- Mohammad Rizwan (Platinum) Perth Scorchers - Finn Allen (Platinum) Hobart Hurricanes - Chris Jordan (Platinum) Sydney Sixers - Sam Curran (Platinum) Melbourne Stars - Haris Rauf (Retention) (Platinum) Sydney Thunders - Lockie Ferguson (Platinum) Round 2: Brisbane Heat - Colin Munro (Platinum) Adelaide Strikers - Jamie Overton (Platinum) Melbourne Renegades- Hassan Khan (Gold) Sydney Thunders - Shadab Khan (Gold) Hobart Hurricanes - Rishad Hossain (Gold) Sydney Sixers - Babar Azam (pre-signed) (Platinum) Melbourne Stars - Tom Curran (Platinum) Round 3: Perth Scorchers - Laurie Evans (Silver) Melbourne Stars - Joe Clarke (Silver) Sydney Thunders - Sam Billings (Gold) Melbourne Renegades- Tim Seifert (Gold) Adelaide Strikers - Hassan Ali (Gold) Round 4: Brisbane Heat - Tom Alsop (Bronze) Perth Scorchers- David Payne (Bronze) Hobart Hurricanes - Rehan Ahmed (Bronze) Sydney Sixers - Jafer Chohan (Bronze)
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Archer & Anderson overlooked in BBL draft
Pakistan left-arm Shaheen Afridi was the top pick in the Big Bash League's 2025-26 overseas player draft but James Anderson and Jofra Archer were both overlooked for aged 43 and England's leading wicket-taker, entered the draft in another attempt to play franchise cricket for the first time, having retired from internationals last has taken 10 wickets in four T20 Blast matches for Lancashire, his first T20s since 2014, in recent weeks but an omission from the tournament in Australia follows him missing out on deals at the Indian Premier League and The meanwhile, entered the draft despite hopes he could feature in the Ashes this winter which will played at the same time as much of the teams instead picked players with guaranteed availability with Brisbane Heat signing Shaheen and Melbourne Renegades picking up Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad all-rounder Sam Curran was signed by Sydney Sixers to play in the league for the first time while Melbourne Renegades had already retained his brother, left-arm quick Luke Wood was signed by Adelaide Strikers, Hobart Hurricanes picked up leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and Perth Scorchers picked Surrey batter Laurie Evans where he won the title in Joe Clarke and England internationals Sam Billings and Chris Jordan will return to Melbourne Renegades, Sydney Thunder and the Hurricanes Sixers also resigned uncapped English leg-spinner Jafer Chohan, adding to their eye-catching pre-draft signing of Pakistan batter Babar internationals Jacob Bethell, Ollie Pope, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Alex Hales and Reece Topley were among those who were not draft picks in fullAdelaide Strikers: Luke Wood (England), Jamie Overton* (England), Hasan Ali (Pakistan)Brisbane Heat: Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan), Colin Munro* (New Zealand), Tom Alsop (England)Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan* (England), Rishad Hossain (Bangladesh), Rehan Ahmed (England)Melbourne Renegades: Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan), Hassan Khan (Pakistan), Tim Seifert* (New Zealand)Melbourne Stars: Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Tom Curran* (England), Joe Clarke (England)Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen* (New Zealand), Laurie Evans (England), David Payne (England)Sydney Sixers: Sam Curran (England), Babar Azam* (Pakistan), Jafer Chohan (England)Sydney Thunder: Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand), Shadab Khan (Pakistan), Sam Billings* (England)*indicates player was pre-signed before draft
NDTV
17-06-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
James Anderson, Jofra Archer Register For Big Bash League Draft. Only Indian Is...
Cricket Australia on Tuesday released the complete list of overseas players registered for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) and Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) drafts, set to take place on June WBBL draft will take place first, followed by the BBL draft. According to Cricket Australia, more than 600 players from across the cricketing world have been nominated for the BBL and WBBL drafts, making it one of the most competitive pools to date. Specifically, 178 players from England, 74 from Pakistan, 42 from the West Indies, 13 from Sri Lanka, and one from India have been nominated for the BBL draft. Former India quick Siddarth Kaul is the only Indian nominated for the BBL draft. Pakistan's quartet of Mohammad Rizwan, seamers Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, and all-rounder Shadab Khan are part of the first overseas draft list. England's Jofra Archer, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy, Reece Topley and former quick James Anderson feature in the draft list. New Zealand's Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson and Kane Williamson are also a part of the draft. However, Williamson will be available for only three matches. The other notable BBL nominees include Sri Lanka's Kusal Perera, West Indies quick Shamar Joseph, and Bangladesh's crafty pacer Mustafizur Rahman. In the WBBL, India's troika of Shikha Pandey, Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues have been nominated. The other notable names include the West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin and Pakistan's Fatima Sana, who have also been included. England's Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge are also on the list, as are the South African pair of Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon. The Heat and Sixers will each have the first selection in the BBL and WBBL drafts this season, respectively. Each draft comprises four rounds, during which every team makes one selection. Teams have the option of choosing a player who has made themselves available for selection in one of four foreign player salary bands: Platinum (round 1 or 2), Gold (round 2 or 3), Silver (round 3 or 4), or Bronze (round 4 only). Teams are allowed to pass once and must utilise at least three selections, including those of pre-signed players.
