Karachi Kings reveal why they let Babar Azam go before PSL 2023

Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal has finally opened up about the reason behind trading star batter Babar Azam ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 season.

In a recent candid interview, Iqbal shared that the decision was made due to a disagreement over Babar's batting position. 

“We wanted him to bat at number three, but he was not ready to change his role. That’s why we had no choice but to release him,” he explained.

Babar, known for his strong preference to open the innings, has played the majority of his T20 career in that position — both internationally and in franchise cricket. Out of 90 PSL innings, he has opened 76 times, scoring 3,103 runs at an impressive average of 47.01 and a strike rate of 129.13. His record includes 28 fifties and two centuries.

However, Babar's recent form as an opener has come under the spotlight. In the ongoing PSL 10 season, he was dismissed for a duck in the opening game against Quetta Gladiators and followed it up with just one run against Islamabad United.

His struggles aren’t limited to the league. Since his 151-run knock against Nepal in August 2023, Babar has not scored a century in any format. Even during the tri-nation ODI series with New Zealand and South Africa, where he opened alongside Fakhar Zaman, he couldn’t deliver, scoring 10, 23, and 29.

Despite his poor run, the team management continued to back him as an opener during the recently concluded ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025. But Babar was unable to make a big impact there as well, with a top score of 64 against New Zealand and only 23 against India in the group stages.