Babar Azam Snub Sparks Debate Amid Pakistan’s Asia Cup Defeat to India
During special coverage of the Pakistan-India clash in the Asia Cup 2025, cricket analyst Bahishti voiced strong criticism over the team’s selection choices. He argued that seasoned players like Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, with their proven records and consistency, are far superior to current squad members Salman Ali Agha and Faheem Ashraf.
“The player who has scored more than 4,000 runs in T20 internationals is not in the team. They fear his reputation,” Bahishti said, referring to former captain Babar Azam. He added that excluding experienced campaigners risks weakening Pakistan’s chances in high-stakes tournaments, as their presence is vital for stabilizing the batting order and boosting team confidence.
India Cruises to Victory
On the field, India made the discussion about team selection moot with a dominant seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their second group match of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a modest target of 128, India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav anchored the innings with an unbeaten 47 off 37 balls, leading from the front after an early flurry from Abhishek Sharma. Sharma and Tilak Varma contributed 31 runs each as India comfortably reached 131-3 in just 15.5 overs.
For Pakistan, Saim Ayub was the standout bowler, taking all three Indian wickets for 35 runs in his four overs. However, Pakistan’s batting line-up struggled against a disciplined Indian attack, finishing at 127-9 in their 20 overs.
The defeat has raised fresh questions about Pakistan’s squad composition as the Asia Cup progresses.
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