Babar Azam declared 'unfit' without injury in dirty move to drop him from T20 World Cup squad

Pakistan have been deeply troubled by their veteran batter Babar Azam not hitting good form in the shortest format of the game. Despite several attempts, Babar is just not able to deliver in the format; however, the former Pakistan selector was seen plotting against the veteran batter to drop him from the side.

Pakistan are looking to revamp their squad for the ICC T20 World Cup, as head coach Mike Hesson cited an opportunity in the upcoming tournament, especially with Pakistan playing all their matches in Sri Lanka. The same one-venue advantage that India got during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

The most daring step by the Pakistan head coach included the exclusion of veteran cricketer Mohammad Rizwan from the side. Babar Azam was speculated to face the same axe, but he was saved by the fact of his being the highest run-getter in T20Is.

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Rashid Latif plots against Babar Azam, stages a fake injury to oust him from the Playing XI

Babar Azam made his debut in the Big Bash League for the Sydney Sixers. The Sixers welcomed him with great enthusiasm, as he turned out to be the costliest overseas player in the history of the BBL.

However, Babar did not stand up to the expectations, as he could not amass even 250 runs after having played throughout the competition. What seemed a greater concern was his strike rate, which was just around 100 in the format where other batters tend to strike every ball.

Returning for Pakistan, Azam has two single-digit scores against the Aussies, and it can easily be noted that he has lost his confidence and is often overcautious when he goes out to bat.

When questioned on the same issue, the former PCB Chief selector, Rashid Latif, said that Babar should be dropped from the team, citing an injury or something much like the Australian skipper Pat Cummins.

"They have to make some way out, be it injury or something and then....(nodding his head in a manner that indicated to Babar Azam's snub)," said Rashid Latif.

😱 BOMBSHELL! Rashid Latif just dropped a huge statement: “Make Babar Azam unfit & drop him from the team!” Pakistan fans can’t believe it! 🔥 #CricketChaos #BabarAzam #PakvsAus #T20WC2026 pic.twitter.com/uOB7SqQBij

— CricketUncut ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (@CricketUncutt) February 1, 2026

Latif backs Salman Agha for leading from the front

On the other hand, Pakistan skipper Salman Agha, who has been doing the majority of the scoring for Pakistan in recent times, has been praised highly by the former selector. Rashid Latif feels that he is now leading his team from the front.

After the Asia Cup, Salman Agha has found relatively fine form with the bat and has been consistently scoring runs across the white-ball and red-ball formats. Agha has also stepped up with the ball at times for Pakistan.

In the ongoing series against Australia, the Pakistan skipper is the highest scorer with 115 runs in two matches, with an average of 57.50 and a strike rate of nearly 160. He is playing like a skipper who leads from the front.

Pakistan defeat the mighty Aussies in T20I series ahead of World Cup 2026

Pakistan have boosted their confidence going into the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup. They defeated the mighty Aussies, who were looking great under Mitchell Marsh's captaincy and had managed to climb up to the second spot in the ICC Men's T20I Rankings.

The Pakistan team crushed the Australian team in the second T20I despite the return of their seasoned campaigners in skipper Mitchell Marsh and Josh Inglis. The first match was lost under Travis Head's leadership.

However, for the Aussies, they would hope to bounce back as they still have the likes of Tim David, Nathan Ellis and Josh Hazlewood who would make a comeback for the T20 World Cup.

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