Overview

• The Pakistan squad for the Asia Cup excludes Babar Azam, marking his first omission since stepping down from white-ball captaincy in late 2024
• Head coach Mike Hesson cited Azam’s challenges against spin and a modest T20 strike rate of around 129 as the basis for his exclusion
• Hesson recommended that Azam use his inaugural Big Bash League stint with the Sydney Sixers to address those deficiencies and rebuild momentum
• ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan was also left out, reflecting a wider push for role-specific T20 metrics over seniority
• Selectors rewarded in-form players such as Sahibzada Farhan after strong performances in recent franchise T20 tournaments