Former Pakistan cricketer calls for Babar, Rizwan return if youngsters fail to deliver

Former Pakistan fast bowler Tanveer Ahmed has urged the team management to consider bringing back senior players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan into the T20 squad if the young players fail to perform in the upcoming international fixtures.

Speaking on the local sports platform, Tanvir dismissed claims that he criticizes young players due to his support for Babar and Rizwan.

"People take my words in the wrong direction, claiming that I don't support young stars because of Babar and Rizwan, but that's not the case at all. I want these young players to perform as they did against Bangladesh, and play the same way against all other teams," he explained.

The former cricketer criticized head coach Mike Hesson and white-ball captain Salman Ali Agha, asking them to maintain their aggressive style of cricket not just against weaker teams, but also against top-tier sides.

"Salman Ali Agha is saying that we will now play this brand of cricket, and I want him to play that cricket against teams like New Zealand, England, South Africa, and India in ICC tournaments. Once you play good cricket against these teams, then I'll believe that Pakistan has the talent," he said.

Tanvir stressed that if the young team performs well against strong opposition, he would be the first to acknowledge that the team no longer needs Babar and Rizwan.

"If the performance against good teams is as promised, and if what Mike Hesson and Salman Agha say is true—that they will build a new team—then I will say, yes, this is the team, and now Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are no longer needed," he added.

He also highlighted the importance of upcoming series against Bangladesh, West Indies, and Afghanistan, describing them as a crucial test before the T20 World Cup and Asia Cup.

"The upcoming series are against Bangladesh, West Indies, and Afghanistan. If Pakistan's performance is subpar before the Asia Cup or World Cup, then Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan should come back into the team, and they should not be stopped from doing so," Tanvir concluded.