The ongoing saga surrounding the omission of Babar Azam from Pakistan’s ODI squad has taken a dramatic turn. Pakistan selector Aaqib Javed dropped a bombshell on Saturday, revealing that the star batter actually sustained an injury during the T20 World Cup 2026. This revelation contradicts previous statements from the team management and has led to a formal request for an inquiry into the medical handling of the players.
The Mystery Injury and Medical Inquiry
According to Javed, the injury was the primary reason Babar was kept out of the three match series against Bangladesh. He further disclosed that while the former captain was eager to participate in the National T20 tournament, his physical condition made it impossible. Javed did not hold back in his criticism of head coach Mike Hesson and the team’s medical staff, effectively blaming them for a lack of transparency.
“Babar Azam faced an injury during the T20 World Cup. When he came back from Sri Lanka, our doctors have a look at him. His injury is preventing him from playing in the National T20. He wanted to play, but the injury is not letting him do so,” Javed told reporters during a press interaction.
The selector revealed that Fakhar Zaman also returned from the tournament unfit, prompting a call for a deep dive into the team’s management protocols.
“We are requesting the PCB. We have asked for an inquiry to be done. How can it happen that both Fakhar and Babar are unfit? After the World Cup, have we learned about the injuries to these two players? I just want to know whether the team management wasn’t looking after their injuries? Were they fully fit? We selectors should know about this, but when the players go for the World Cup, their health issues and injury concerns should be looked after by the head coach and the physio. We should know about it,” he added.
Contradicting the “Rested” Narrative
The statement from the selection committee adds a layer of confusion to the situation. Earlier this week, head coach Mike Hesson and captain Shaheen Shah Afridi had publicly maintained that Babar was merely being “rested” to allow youngsters an opportunity. This internal friction comes as Pakistan struggles to move past a disappointing World Cup campaign where they failed to reach the semi finals for the fourth consecutive ICC event.
Defending the Performance Record
Despite the early exit, Aaqib Javed downplayed the severity of the team’s recent failures. He argued that the elimination was a result of a single loss in the Super 8s and a rain washout, rather than a systemic collapse. He also dismissed the significance of the 61 run loss to India, citing the historical 8–0 record in favor of the Men in Blue.
“We won the Test series against England, which no one expected. In Australia, we won the ODI series after 27 years, and after that, we beat South Africa 3–0, something no one had done before. We also fought well in the Test series. In the 2025 Champions Trophy, there was an incident, but before that, the team’s performance was going fine,” Javed asserted.
Regarding the World Cup specifically, he noted: “In the Super 8 stage, one match was washed out by rain, and we lost one; nothing else happened. Against Sri Lanka, winning by that margin wasn’t achievable. We lost only one match. We were eliminated only on net run rate. Making it such a huge issue is too much. It’s a big issue, but not so big that our cricket is destroyed or that we can’t compete anywhere in the world.”
A Divided Camp
As the PCB prepares for the requested inquiry, the divide between the selectors and the team management appears to be widening. With Salman Agha and Mehidy Hasan’s recent “spirit of the game” controversy adding to the tension on the field, the off field politics regarding Babar Azam’s health will likely dominate the headlines leading into the Champions Trophy cycle.
