Why Babar Azam missed Bangladesh ODIs? PCB selector reveals shocking reason

Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed provided a major update regarding Babar Azam missing the recent limited-overs squad. The Pakistan Cricket Board Director of High Performance confirmed that the former captain sustained an injury during the T20 World Cup 2026, where the team failed to qualify for the semifinals.

The management excluded Babar from the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh. Head coach Mike Hesson and Shaheen Shah Afridi stated that they wanted to provide opportunities for new players. The Men in Green suffered a humiliating defeat in the opener before bouncing back in the second game.

Injury Currently Does Not Allow Babar Azam To Play - Aaqib Javed

Speaking at a press conference along with Misbah-ul-Haq, Sarfaraz Ahmed, and Asad Shafiq, Aaqib Javed spoke about the injury concerns surrounding Babar Azam. He then clarified the exact medical reason behind Babar’s omission from both the international series and the T20 tournament.

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Javed stated that the 31-year-old wanted to participate in the domestic tournament. However, medical professionals advised him against playing competitive cricket until he fully recovers from the injury.

“Some players have not been included in this series, especially Babar Azam. When he returned, our doctors examined him, and his injury currently does not allow him to play in this series or in the T20 tournament. Although he wanted to play, he is still injured.”

Babar Azam Endured A Tough T20 World Cup 2026 Campaign

Babar Azam had a poor campaign during the recent T20 World Cup. He managed to score only 91 runs across four innings at a strike rate of 112.34. His best score of 46 came during the opening group-stage fixture against the United States national team.

He scored just five runs against India before Axar Patel dismissed him. The team management subsequently demoted him down the batting order against Namibia, where he did not get an opportunity to bat. The team crashed out during the Super Eight stage.

Notably, the management dropped him from the final Super Eight match against Sri Lanka. The national team failed to reach the tournament knockouts. Following this exit, experts questioned his position in the T20I setup before the selectors announced the squad for the Bangladesh series.

Babar Azam Struggling To Regain Consistency Since 2024

Azam has struggled to regain his consistency since 2024. Despite scoring over 4,500 runs in international T20 matches, his strike rate stands at 128.02. In overall T20 cricket, he has scored over 11,000 runs, including 11 centuries and 98 half-centuries, with a strike rate of 128.31.

Last year, he skipped two first-class games in the premier red-ball tournament despite battling poor form. He missed crucial opportunities to regain his batting rhythm away from the pressure of international cricket fixtures.

The batter will next be seen in action during the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2026 season. He will open the batting for the Peshawar Zalmi franchise during the tournament. He will be hoping to regain his form and return to the T20I side.

Also read: BCCI Naman Awards 2026 full winners list: Shubman Gill, Smriti Mandhana, Rahul Dravid honoured