Former Pakistan captain and star cricketer Babar Azam has been advised by coach Mike Hesson to improve his batting against spin bowling and increase his strike rate for any chance to make his comeback in the national T20I team.
Despite being a cornerstone of Pakistan’s batting in Test and ODI formats, the 30-year-old has been absent from T20Is since the team’s tour of South Africa in late 2024.
Babar was omitted from the Pakistan squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in September, with the team management opting to back emerging talents like Sahibzada Farhan.
Hesson highlighted Babar’s modest T20I strike rate of 129 and his struggles against spin as areas needing improvement. “Babar’s been asked to work on taking on spin and boosting his strike rate,” Hesson noted, acknowledging the batter’s efforts to address these weaknesses. However, he praised the current squad’s form, particularly Farhan, who has earned three player-of-the-match awards in just six games.
Hesson suggested that Babar could use the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia to refine his T20 skills and stage a comeback. “A player like Babar has the chance to play in the BBL and demonstrate progress in T20s. He’s too talented to overlook,” Hesson said.
Pakistan’s Asia Cup Group A campaign begins against Oman in Dubai on September 12, followed by a high-stakes clash with India on September 14 at the same venue.
