Babar Azam humiliated by teammate over strike rate ahead of Asia Cup 2025

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Haris made a bold claim about star batter Babar Azam ahead of the upcoming tri-nation series and the Asia Cup 2025. Notably, Babar was not selected for the upcoming series, with the selectors backing players like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Fakhar Zaman.

Babar and Mohammad Rizwan have not played in Pakistan’s T20I matches since December 2024 against South Africa, despite being the country’s top batsmen. Babar Azam is scheduled to feature for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League (BBL) later this year, which may aid his return to Pakistan’s T20 squad.

Babar Azam’s T20I Record and Recent Struggles

Babar Azam has scored 4,223 runs in 128 T20I matches at an average of nearly 40, including three centuries and 36 half-centuries. However, the right-handed batter's strike rate of 129 has been under criticism.

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Babar was left out of the squad in the shorter format after his struggles in the 2024 T20 World Cup and lack of impact in bilateral series against Australia and South Africa. He failed to adapt to the demands of modern T20 cricket.

Babar was in decent form in the 2025 PSL, recording scores of 56*, 53*, and 94 for Peshawar Zalmi. However, he last played for Pakistan in a three-match ODI series against the West Indies, with scores of 47, 0, and 9.

The star batter is the second-highest run-scorer in T20Is behind Rohit Sharma. However, his strike rate casts doubt on his future in the shortest format.

Babar Azam Needs to Play Fast in T20 - Mohammad Haris

Mohammad Haris said that Babar Azam needs to adopt a more aggressive approach in T20 cricket to enhance his strike rate in the shortest format. Haris's remarks came after Babar's exclusion from Pakistan's T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the UAE-Afghanistan tri-series.

Mohammad Haris shares his advice for Babar Azam.#Cricket | #Pakistan | #MohammadHaris | #BabarAzam | #Dubai pic.twitter.com/qgcCjUqNjl

— Khel Shel (@khelshel) August 26, 2025

📸:💚🇵🇰
"Babar Azam needs to play fast in T20"
Mohammad Haris...!!!😂#BabarAzam | #BabarAzam𓃵 pic.twitter.com/8mQzUiLoGB

— 𝐅𝐚𝐧❥𝐁𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐫 𝐀𝐳𝐚𝐦 𝐁𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬🏏 (@Bobi_1A) August 25, 2025

Haris plays with an aggressive batting approach in T20Is. He recently scored an unbeaten 107 off 46 balls against Bangladesh at a strike rate of 232.60. The batter became Pakistan's second-fastest T20I centurion. However, he scored only 21 runs in his last six T20I matches.

Asia Cup Scheduled to be Played from September 9 to 28

The 2025 Asia Cup is set to be played from September 9 to 28. Notably, the event will be played in the T20I format for the first time since 2022. Eight teams are split into two groups, with India, Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE in Group A, while Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Hong Kong are in Group B.

Pakistan will begin their campaign against Oman on September 12, before they face India on September 14. Their final league fixture will be against the UAE on September 17.

Ahead of the Asia Cup, Salman Ali Agha will lead Pakistan in the tri-series against Afghanistan and the UAE at Sharjah from August 29 to September 7. Players Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Hasan Ali will be joined by emerging talents like Hasan Nawaz and Mohammad Haris in the squad.

Also read: Mohammed Siraj makes shocking revelations about Jasprit Bumrah on England tour