Pakistan star batter Babar Azam has decided to skip the ongoing National T20 Cup to focus on improving his batting technique ahead of Pakistan Super League Season 11, which begins on March 26.
Babar was initially picked to play for Lahore Whites in the Peshawar-based National T20 tournament. However, he has opted out after discussions with Pakistan team management following a tough run of form.
Instead of playing domestic matches, Babar will train privately with a group of unnamed coaches. The goal is to work on technical issues in his batting and rebuild confidence before returning to competitive cricket.
The decision comes after a disappointing campaign in the recent ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Babar struggled with the bat during the tournament and was even dropped from Pakistan’s playing XI for the Super Eight match against Sri Lanka.
Soon after the World Cup, Babar was also left out of Pakistan’s ODI squad for the tour of Bangladesh. His absence from both the national team and the domestic tournament has increased focus on his recent dip in form.
Once ranked No.1 in the ICC batting rankings across formats, Babar has been one of Pakistan’s most reliable batters over the past decade. But his performances in the last few years have not matched the high standards he set earlier in his career.
Another point of discussion has been his limited participation in domestic cricket. Since 2020, Babar has mostly featured in franchise tournaments like the Pakistan Super League while playing very little domestic cricket.
Last year, he even skipped two first-class matches in Pakistan’s main red-ball competition, choosing to manage his workload during a busy international schedule.
Despite skipping the National T20 Championship, Babar is still expected to lead Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 11. The tournament will mark his return to competitive cricket after taking time to reset his technique and approach.
Team management reportedly sees this break as a long-term investment. The aim is to help Babar rediscover his rhythm before Pakistan’s upcoming international assignments later in the year.
For Babar, PSL 11 could become an important stage to prove that he is ready to regain his best form.