Pakistan’s selection setup has shed light on why Babar Azam has not featured in the ongoing National T20 Cup or in the ODI squad against Bangladesh, with selector Aqib Javed saying the batter was dealing with an injury after the T20 World Cup.
Speaking at a press conference at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, alongside Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Asad Shafiq, Aqib Javed said Babar Azam wanted to play domestic T20 cricket but could not because his fitness did not allow it. He added that Babar underwent a medical check-up after returning from the World Cup, which confirmed the issue.
Aqib also said the injuries of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman are under inquiry, raising questions over whether player fitness was properly tracked during the T20 World Cup campaign and whether adequate fitness checks were conducted when the squad was assembled.
He stressed that team selection is not the decision of a single individual, explaining that the selection committee, captain, and coach jointly consult on squad building. Aqib also maintained that Pakistan used the Bangladesh series to rest some players and test new options, rather than dropping players outright.
Notably, Aqib did not specify exactly when Babar picked up the injury during the T20 World Cup, and there has been no detailed PCB medical bulletin publicly outlining the timeline. For now, the official explanation remains that Babar’s absence is injury-related and is being reviewed internally.
