Babar Azam shouldn’t be there in Pakistan T20I team: Basit Ali

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has called for sidelining star batter Babar Azam from the national T20I side.

Ali appeared on the ARY Podcast where he shared his views on a wide range of topics, including Pakistan players, PCB and international cricket.

During his appearance, Basit Ali was asked about the former Pakistan captain’s batting position in the ODIs and the T20Is.

Responding to the question, the former Pakistan cricketer said that Babar Azam should bat at the No. 3 position.

“But, he should not be in the T20I team,” Basit Ali added.

Basit Ali lamented the dip in the former Pakistan captain’s form in recent years, saying that he failed to capitalise on opportunities to win games for the national side in the ICC tournaments.

“How many games has Babar Azam won for Pakistan? People keep talking about the win in the 2021 T20 World Cup after years. But, they are not talking about how Virat Kohli beat us in Melbourne,” he said.

It is worth noting here that the former Pakistan captain last played in a T20I for Pakistan back in 2024 against South Africa.

He was excluded from the Pakistan squads for the previous New Zealand and Bangladesh T20I series.

Reports said that Babar Azam was not in the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) plans for the upcoming tours of Bangladesh and the West Indies.

While he remains sidelined from the national T20I side, the former Pakistan captain has been signed by the Sydney Sixers ahead of the BBL 2025.