The Pakistan Cricket Board’s recent decisions to exclude Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the Asia Cup 2025 squad and to demote them from Category A to Category B contracts have sparked intense debate.
For many, these moves symbolize a new direction under coach Mike Hesson, but for those who have watched Pakistan cricket closely, it feels like an impulsive dismissal of two men who carried this team through its most turbulent times.
Let’s be clear: the era of Babar and Rizwan is not over. To treat it as such is not just unwise, it is unfair to two cricketers who gave Pakistan their very best when the team needed it most.
For nearly half a decade, Babar Azam stood as the immovable anchor of Pakistan’s batting. His consistency was unmatched, his technique a benchmark, and his temperament a rare commodity in Pakistan cricket. Alongside him, Mohammad Rizwan redefined the role of a wicketkeeper-batter, emerging as a warrior who could grind, graft, and rescue Pakistan in dire situations. Together, they became a pair that the world feared and admired.
From their heroic run in the 2021 T20 World Cup to match-winning partnerships across Asia and beyond, Babar and Rizwan gave Pakistan stability when chaos often surrounded it. Their presence made Pakistan competitive in global tournaments, even when other areas of the team faltered. To ignore such players completely, on the basis of form dips or emerging alternatives, is to undervalue their immense service and experience.
Head coach Mike Hesson argues that “other players are performing well” and that Babar needs to work on his strike rate and ability against spin. Fair points on paper, but international cricket is not played on paper.
Tournaments like the Asia Cup, staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), demand experience and temperament. Both Babar and Rizwan have exceptional records in those conditions. Their ability to handle pressure on sluggish pitches cannot be replicated overnight by newcomers, no matter how talented.
Dropping both simultaneously, while also denying them Category A contracts, feels like a decision made in haste rather than in wisdom. Experience, after all, is not just about statistics, it is about presence, leadership, and calmness under fire.
Babar’s determination to fight back is already visible. Viral clips show him sweating it out in the nets at the Ghani Institute of Cricket in Lahore, training with a vengeance. It is the response of a champion, one who refuses to let setbacks define him. Rizwan, too, has proven time and again that he thrives under pressure. If given the chance, these players can reinvent themselves, adapt, and reclaim their positions. They have done it before; they can do it again. The question is: will the PCB and selectors keep the door open? Or will they shut it in the name of “youth transition”?
Pakistan cricket is at a crossroads. Young talent is emerging, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Abrar Ahmed, and others bring promise and energy. This is a good sign. But the rise of youth must not mean the abandonment of experience. Successful teams strike balance, blending the fearlessness of youth with the wisdom of veterans.
India managed this with Dhoni while nurturing Kohli. Australia transitioned from Ponting to Smith without discarding Clarke. England phased out Cook while still valuing his experience.
Pakistan, however, seems to lean towards abrupt, almost impulsive shifts, leaving senior players out in the cold overnight. That is not how sustainable success is built.
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are not perfect players. They have areas to improve, just like any cricketer. But they remain match-winners, leaders, and, above all, symbols of resilience. To relegate them to the sidelines without a clear plan is to risk both the team’s balance and the respect due to its greatest servants.
Their era is not over. It should not be allowed to end in whispers of omission and contract downgrades. It should end on their terms, on the field, with bats raised and heads held high. Pakistan cricket owes them that much.
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