Former Pakistan cricketer believes Babar, Rizwan can silence critics

Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has thrown his full support behind senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, urging fans and critics alike to trust their abilities in the T20 format.

Speaking in a recent interview with a local sports platform, Imad highlighted the need for adaptability and a fresh mindset in modern T20 cricket, especially for experienced players like Babar and Rizwan.

"Simple is that — that should be the message. If they are willing to change, if they want to play, I’m happy for them because they are such big players, such big names for Pakistan and the fans," Imad said. 

"People want to see them play like this, and I am specifically talking about T20 cricket," he added. 

Responding to ongoing debates about Babar’s place in the national team, Imad clarified that his previous remarks were meant only for T20 cricket and not other formats.

"I’m not talking about ODI or Test cricket because in ODI cricket Babar has the best record in the world. He will never be dropped, to be honest, and even in Test cricket, there's no question about Babar’s performance," he explained. 

"It’s the 50-over format—you need players like him and Babar does it better than anyone else in the world. So, One-Day cricket is totally different," he further explained. 

However, Imad urged senior players to self-reflect when it comes to T20 cricket, emphasizing the need for tactical adjustments.

"But in T20, I think they need to reflect if they want to play this format. I know they can play, and hopefully, they will turn up and prove everybody wrong. I’ll be the first one to praise them if they do," he concluded.

For context, Babar Azam, who captained Pakistan in three consecutive ICC Men’s T20 World Cups (2021, 2022, 2024), last played a T20I in December 2023. He missed both the home series against New Zealand in March and the recent three-match series against Bangladesh, which started on May 28 in Lahore.

The right-handed batter has been under scrutiny due to a drop in form in the T20 format. He has not scored a half-century since his 75-run innings against Ireland in May 2023. Overall, Babar has played 128 T20Is, scoring 4,223 runs at an average of 39.83, including three centuries and 36 fifties.

Both Babar and Rizwan were also left out of the five-match T20I series in New Zealand earlier this year, as the selectors opted to test younger players. Since then, the duo has not returned to the T20I squad.

In a recent development, Mohammad Rizwan was removed from T20I captaincy after leading in just two series. All-rounder Salman Ali Agha has taken over and recently guided Pakistan to a 3-0 series sweep against Bangladesh in Lahore.