Imad Wasim questions Babar Azam’s promotion as opener in ODIs

Former Pakistan all-rounder Imad Wasim has raised questions about the decision to promote Babar Azam to the opening slot in ODIs, questioning whether Pakistan is genuinely lacking specialist openers.

Babar, who has been struggling with his form, last scored an ODI century in August 2023 against Nepal, where he hit 151 runs. Since then, his performances have been under scrutiny, particularly after Pakistan's disappointing campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Ahead of the tournament, Pakistan’s management experimented with Babar as an opener during the tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa. However, Babar could only manage scores of 10, 23, and 29 in those matches. Despite these underwhelming numbers, he was retained in the opening role for the Champions Trophy but failed to make a significant impact, scoring 64 and 23 against New Zealand and India, respectively.

This decision has sparked criticism from various former cricketers, and Imad Wasim has now added his voice to the growing list of critics. 

“Nobody has achieved what Babar has in ODI cricket so far,” Imad said. 

“You had a player who could bat for 40 overs and was doing great at No. 3, so why would you suddenly make him open?” he questioned. 

Imad further questioned the rationale behind the decision, especially considering Pakistan's rich history of producing quality openers. He expressed confusion over why the management felt the need to alter Babar’s role in the team.

“Don’t we have any other opener in the whole country?” Imad asked. 

“Sometimes, I fail to understand the logic behind some of these decisions. We are not moving in the right direction; in fact, we are going backwards,” he further questioned.