Babar Azam Retained for Australia T20I Series Despite Poor BBL Returns

As the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 is coming closer, the teams are looking in great shape and utilising all the opportunities. A total of 20 teams will be participating in the tournament and most of them have already announced their squads.

Pakistan are yet to announce their squad for the T20 World Cup 2026 but have revealed their 16-member squad for the upcoming T20I series against Australia. Surprisingly, country's star cricketer Babar Azam has retained his place in the squad despite a poor performance in the Big Bash League (BBL) recently.

Babar Azam Retains Place in Pakistan Squad for Australia Series 2026

Despite a relatively poor run in one of the biggest cricket leagues in the world, Babar Azam has made it into the Pakistan squad for T20 against Australia. Both teams will clash in a 3-match series, starting on January 27. Ahead of the World Cup, Australia will travel to Pakistan to play the series.

Babar was left out of the squad during the Sri Lanka tour but has found a place again, showcasing his importance in the team. The selectors value his role in the team and the experience he carries.

In the Big Bash League, Babar played in 11 games and scored just 202 runs. He did register two half-centuries but they weren't enough to highlight him in the tournament. As a result, he failed to live up to the expectations of one of the best T20 batsmen in the world. Moreover, his strike rate of 103.06 runs was another talking point for the experts and fans after his selection in the national side.

Salman Agha to Lead, Shaheen Afridi Returns

Apart from Babar's inclusion, the squad has a good blend of youth and experience for the PAK vs AUS 2026 series. Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub are expected to open with Babar at No. 3. The middle order consists of Fakhar Zaman and skipper Salman Agha. With Shaheen Afridi returning to international cricket, the bowling looks strong.

However, there is no Haris Rauf in the PAK squad for Australia series despite him performing well in the BBL recently. The eyes will also be on the mystery spinner Usman Tariq, who has been impressive during his initial matches.

Pakistan Squad for Australia Series 2026

Salman Ali Agha (C), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wk) Usman Tariq