Shaheen Afridi urges support for youngsters after Babar, Rizwan dropped

Agencies | Published August 23, 2025 | Updated 2 hours ago

DUBAI: Pakistan’s pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has thrown his weight behind the younger crop of cricketers, saying they must be given full backing in the wake of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s exclusion from the national T20I side.

Once considered Pakistan’s most dependable opening pair in the shortest format, Babar and Rizwan have been left out as the team shifts towards a more attacking style under the stewardship of newly-appointed white-ball coach Mike Hesson and T20I skipper Salman Ali Agha.

Hesson has made it clear that the senior duo need to sharpen their T20 skills before earning a way back into the playing XI.

New-look top order

In their absence, the management has turned to relatively untested names such as Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Mohammad Haris for the top order, while young Hasan Nawaz is being seen as a potential answer for the middle overs. These players have already featured in Hesson’s early assignments and are expected to line up when Pakistan kick off their tri-nation series against Afghanistan and hosts UAE in Sharjah on August 29.

The competition is being treated as a warm-up ahead of the Asia Cup, scheduled to begin on September 9 in the UAE.

‘They are our players’

Speaking at the team’s training camp at Dubai International Stadium, Shaheen said:

“Babar and Rizwan are world-class players who have done a lot for Pakistan, and they will continue to do so. But everyone deserves an opportunity. The youngsters we have today are also Pakistan’s players. Instead of criticising them for being new, we should support them so they can grow.”

The Asia Cup will mark the first major challenge for Hesson and Salman, giving them a chance to gauge their squad ahead of the T20 World Cup, slated for February-March in India and Sri Lanka.

Mixed start under Hesson

Since Hesson’s appointment, Pakistan have recorded a 3-0 whitewash at home against Bangladesh, suffered a 2-1 defeat away to the same side, and later beat West Indies 2-1 in the United States.

But the real test looms at the Asia Cup, where Pakistan are likely to face India at least once — with the possibility of up to three encounters if both sides progress deep into the tournament. Given heightened political tensions since May, those fixtures are expected to carry added intensity.

‘We have prepared earlier than ever’

Shaheen, however, sounded upbeat.

“India matches are always high-pressure, but this time our preparation has started much earlier than usual. We’ve been working hard, and this is a big opportunity to use that preparation to our advantage,” he remarked.

“Our first focus is on the tri-series, but the Asia Cup will allow us to fine-tune for the big games.”

Acknowledging the challenge posed by Afghanistan and UAE, Shaheen said there was no room for complacency.

“In T20 cricket, no team is easy. But we have a young side ready to play fearless cricket. Our preparation is strong, and I believe we have the edge going into these tournaments.”