According to Geo Super and Cricket Pakistan, Babar Azam is on the Pakistan Cricket Board’s radar for the upcoming tournaments due to concerns over Fakhar Zaman’s status. Fakhar, who suffered a hamstring injury during the recent T20I series against the West Indies, is currently set to undergo rehab at the National Cricket Academy after being ruled out of the ODI series in the Caribbean.
With Fakhar’s availability for the Asia Cup hanging in the balance, the PCB is understood to be evaluating backup options, and Babar Azam—currently part of the ODI squad against the West Indies—has emerged as a leading candidate. While the selectors are not rushing into a decision, Babar’s performance in the ongoing ODI series is likely to determine whether he earns a recall for the high-stakes assignments in the UAE.
Babar’s inclusion, if confirmed, would intensify competition at the top of the order. Earlier, Mike Hesson, Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, noted that Babar is vying for a spot alongside both Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub. However, there are no guarantees that the former captain will be in the playing XI, as Sahibzada Farhan has ably stepped up in Fakhar’s absence.
Babar Azam, who last played a T20I match in December 2024, has played six T20I matches in the Asia Cup, scoring 68 runs at an average of 11.33.
The final squad for both the tri-nation series and the Asia Cup is expected to be named in the second week of August, and all eyes will now be on whether Babar Azam is among the names or not.
