Pakistan’s recent T20 struggles have taken centre stage after the exclusion of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the squad for the New Zealand tour.
A young and inexperienced team was sent to face the challenging conditions of Kiwi pitches, resulting in two consecutive defeats. The decision to overhaul the lineup has raised serious concerns about Pakistan’s cricketing logic and long-term strategy.
Why were Babar and Rizwan dropped?
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, once considered Pakistan’s pillars in T20 cricket, found themselves sidelined. The criticism began when Babar’s strike rate and ability to play big shots came under scrutiny, particularly after his dip in form. Despite this, he managed a T20I strike rate of nearly 140 last year and scored three consecutive fifties in New Zealand, making his exclusion questionable.
Rizwan, Pakistan’s most consistent T20 batter, had amassed 1,775 runs at an impressive average of 44.37 since January 2022—more than any other player in the world during this period.
His ability to absorb pressure and play big shots made him a dependable opener. However, both players were removed in an attempt to inject fresh blood into the squad—an experiment that appears to be backfiring, given Pakistan’s continued struggles in conditions where they have historically performed poorly.
Pakistan’s recent T20I record paints a grim picture: out of their last 22 matches, they have lost 13, won only 5, and drawn 4. More concerning is their inability to beat the top-eight teams and shocking losses against Ireland, USA, and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan’s repeated failures in T20Is
The blame for Pakistan’s T20 decline does not rest solely on Babar and Rizwan. A broader crisis looms over Pakistan’s white-ball cricket, with deficiencies in fast bowling, an absent spin department, fielding errors, and a brittle middle and lower order.
During the 2024 T20 World Cup, Pakistan’s bowling attack failed to defend a decent 150+ total against the USA. Against India, when the bowlers stepped up and restricted India to 120, the batting lineup collapsed, allowing the opposition’s bowlers to dictate terms. While Babar and Rizwan had been dismissed by the 15th over in that game, the likes of Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed, failed to capitalise in the final overs.
Pakistan’s fast bowling, once a feared force, has also declined. Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, and Haris Rauf—previously hailed as the future of white-ball cricket—have struggled for consistency. During Champions Trophy in Pakistan and now in New Zealand, pacers were repeatedly taken apart by batters, signalling a major shift in Pakistan’s bowling narrative.
Stagnation of Pakistan’s players
A key reason behind Pakistan’s decline is the inability of its players to evolve beyond a certain level. Unlike previous generations that boasted quality all-rounders such as Shahid Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq, Pakistan’s current crop—including Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz and Aamer Jamal—has failed to establish itself.
Pakistan’s flawed domestic structure is also a major issue. Flat pitches do not prepare bowlers adequately, and spinners are often sidelined in domestic teams. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) lacks both world-class infrastructure and internationally acclaimed coaches. Even when Pakistan secured top-tier coaching talent such as Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, PCB politics forced them out.
Controversial selections and management failures
One of the most criticised figures in Pakistan’s recent cricketing decisions is Aaqib Javed, who played a key role in squad selection. Previously serving as Lahore Qalandars’ head coach for nine years, Javed’s tenure saw the franchise finish on the last position five times.
His squad selection for the Champions Trophy raised eyebrows, as it included just one specialist opener and one spinner. Babar Azam, a natural No 3 with 19 centuries and an average of 60 at that position, was pushed to open. Saud Shakeel, who had played ODIs for two years, was slotted in at No 3. The changes did not stop there. When Fakhar Zaman got injured, Usman Khan—already in the squad—was ignored in favour of Imamul Haq. Faheem Ashraf was selected instead of another spinner but did not earn the confidence to play a game.
After the Champions Trophy, when a new T20 captain, Agha Salman, was announced, Aaqib Javed blamed the instability of coaching and selection committees for the team’s struggles. In response, Jason Gillespie publicly criticised Javed, calling him a “Clown” who undermined the efforts of Kirsten and himself. Cricket journalists and analysts have also accused Javed of deliberately sidelining Babar and Rizwan, citing his past criticism of Babar’s batting approach.
In Pakistan’s recent match against New Zealand, a completely new group of youngsters took the field, while players who had featured in Zimbabwe and were benched during the Australia and South Africa tours, were dropped without any explanation by Aaqib Javed.
Pakistan’s uncertain path forward
Pakistan’s struggles in T20 cricket stem from a combination of poor selection decisions, a stagnant domestic system, and management controversies. While dropping Babar and Rizwan might have been justified as a tactical move, it appears more like a knee-jerk reaction rather than a well-thought-out strategy. With the team failing to win against quality opposition and a deteriorating talent pipeline, Pakistan cricket faces a long road ahead in regaining its lost stature.
