The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) stunned supporters on Sunday, August 17, by omitting star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the team for the 2025 Asia Cup. The move has left many stunned, given that the pair are Pakistan's leading two run-getters in T20 internationals.
Former Pakistani fast bowler Tanveer Ahmed responded angrily, advising the two players to retire from international cricket if they believe respect has been lost.
On X, Tanveer posted:
"Meri Babar Azam aur Rizwan say request hai ager ap log yeh samajhtey hain ap logon ke izzat nahi ha tou retirement ley lo international cricket say humarey samne virat kohli ke examples hain. @babarazam258, @iMRizwanPak izzat apney hath main ha (My request to Babar Azam and Rizwan is that if you feel your respect is not intact, then consider retiring from international cricket. We have examples of Virat Kohli in front of us. Babar and Rizwan, respect is in your hands)."
Also Read | Ahmed Shahzad Blames Virat Kohli for Babar Azam’s Slump
"They are not match winners": Mohammad Hafeez
Joining the debate, former captain Mohammad Hafeez also had words for Babar and Rizwan, calling them not the key players for Pakistan anymore.
On his YouTube channel, Hafeez commented:
"Calling them (Babar and Rizwan) key players would be wrong and unfair. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not Pakistan cricket’s key players at the moment. Key players are those who win matches for Pakistan."
Hafeez added that for the last two years, the consistent performers for Pakistan were Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub, and Hasan Nawaz.
He added:
"If we look at the past year and a half to two years, the players showing consistent performance are Salman Ali Agha, Saim Ayub and Hasan Nawaz. Why aren’t we talking about them? They are the current players winning matches for Pakistan."
Hafeez went on to say that Babar and Rizwan need to show themselves again.
He said:
"I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results."
He also pointed out that Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah are not giving match-winning performances as well, reiterating that Pakistan's senior stars have to perform.
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