'Move on’: Wasim Akram says Pakistan backed Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan enough after Asia Cup snub

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have long been Pakistan’s most reliable scorers in T20 cricket, producing several match-winning knocks over the years. However, questions have often been raised about whether their scoring pace matches the demands of the modern game. Critics argue that while they make runs, their tempo sometimes slows down the team’s overall momentum. This debate resurfaced after Pakistan chose to exclude both players from the Asia Cup 2025 squad, a move former captain Wasim Akram endorsed.

“I think this team is doing OK. They have given enough chances to Babar and Rizwan as openers for 4 or 5 years. They did well, but not as well, not as consistently, and hence the new boys,” Akram told Sony Sports.

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He further explained the selectors’ shift in approach: “Babar is not there, Rizwan is not there. I think the idea was to move on from them, to go to these youngsters. They’ve done well, haven’t been consistent, but at least they have the right mindset. They don’t have a fear of losing. When you have a fear of losing, you buckle under pressure. So these guys, they might lose, but I think Salman Agha is a good captain.”