Pakistan have dropped Babar Azam, with 4,596 T20I runs, from their squad for the home series against Sri Lanka. Sahibzada Farhan’s captaincy begins with it. Farhan replaced the sacked Salman Ali Agha when the PCB named Pakistan’s new T20I captain and squads on 5 October. Former Test opener Sadiq Mohammad has called the senior clear-out ridiculous.
The anger is about a name. The decision was about the first six overs, and what a slow start does to every batter waiting behind it.
“That is a ridiculous and immature decision.”
Sadiq Mohammad, speaking to The Express Tribune, 7 October 2026
Sadiq was talking about Babar, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Agha being left out together. In his view, a beaten side usually makes one or two changes, not a clean sweep, and Babar should have been in the T20 squad.
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In T20 cricket, the powerplay decides what kind of innings everyone else gets to play. At the World Cup, Pakistan coach Mike Hesson said Babar’s powerplay strike rate was below 100. When an opener scores at less than a run a ball with the field up, the number three walks in already behind. Every batter after him then chases the rate instead of building it.
That is why this is not a verdict on Babar the batter. He stays in the ODI squad, where an anchor at the top is the plan, not the problem. T20 selectors now pick the job first and the player second, and Farhan has changed what that job looks like.
Babar vs Farhan: The World Cup Numbers
Same tournament, very different returns.
| T20 World Cup 2026 | Babar Azam | Sahibzada Farhan |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 91 in 6 matches | 383, the most in the tournament |
| Strike rate | 112.34 | 160.25 |
| Hundreds | 0 | 2 |
| Last Super Eight game vs Sri Lanka | Left out | 100 not out |
Farhan’s record century against Sri Lanka at Pallekele came in the game Babar was dropped for. That tournament took Farhan past Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in a single edition.
Babar is one of seven players from the World Cup squad left out. The others are Shaheen, Agha, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Usman Tariq and Usman Khan. The PCB gave no reason. Journalist Tabish Mir reported that Babar was in the first plans until selectors met after the Asian Games final and cited his recent domestic form.
🚨 BABAR DROPPED AFTER EMERGENCY MEETING! 🇵🇰
– Babar Azam was reportedly in Pakistan’s initial T20I plans for the Sri Lanka series.
– After the Asian Games final, the selection committee held an emergency meeting and decided to leave him out, with his recent domestic form cited as the reason. (Tabish Mir)
— Rayham. (@RayhamUnplugged) October 6, 2026
The call covers T20Is only, and Farhan said on 8 October that Babar and Mohammad Rizwan can return to T20 cricket at any time.
The T20Is are in Rawalpindi on 9, 11 and 13 October. The ODI tri-series with England and Sri Lanka starts on 18 October, and the final is in Lahore on 31 October.
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