Former Teammate Urges Babar Azam to Retire from T20 Cricket

Former Pakistan left-arm pacer Rumman Raees has advised star batter Babar Azam to consider stepping away from T20 cricket and focus on longer formats, calling it a “friendly suggestion.”

Raees, who represented Pakistan in nine ODIs and eight T20Is between 2016 and 2018, said that while Babar’s class and batting ability are unquestionable, his recent struggles in T20s could begin to affect his performance in other formats.

“There is no doubt about his class and no doubt about his batting,” Raees said during a podcast appearance hosted by fellow cricketer Fawad Alam. “But I feel that in T20 format, he should respectfully consider retirement and focus on ODI and Test cricket.”

Babar Azam has recently faced heavy scrutiny over his performances in T20 Internationals, despite being the leading run-scorer in the format globally.

He fell out of favor in Pakistan’s T20 setup after a three-match away series against South Africa in December 2024 and was not included in the squad for the ACC Men’s Asia Cup, as the team shifted its focus to developing younger players for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

However, Pakistan’s disappointing campaign in the continental tournament led to his return for the home series against South Africa in October last year. He later secured a place in the squad for the 20-team T20 World Cup.

Despite his return, concerns around his T20 form continued during the tournament. Babar managed just 91 runs in six matches, averaging 22.75, with a highest score of 46, raising further questions about his role in the format.

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