Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has backed the decision to drop star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the national T20I setup, suggesting the duo is better suited to the longer formats of the game.
Speaking on a recent podcast, Akmal addressed reports that Babar and Rizwan are being permanently sidelined from T20 internationals.
"That's absolutely the right decision," Akmal said.
"I believe this should happen because these players are more suited for the longer format of the game. In my opinion, they should now be kept on only for Test matches. Maybe after another six months, they should only be considered for Test cricket, both Babar and Rizwan," he added.
The former wicketkeeper batter went a step further, expressing doubts about the duo's continued role in One Day Internationals as well.
"After another six months, they should be sidelined from ODIs, too, because Pakistan hardly plays Test matches these days. No one is even talking about Test cricket. But if any real players are made, they are made through playing Test cricket," he remarked.
The 43-year-old the foundational value of red-ball cricket, asserting that proficiency in Tests enhances performance across all formats.
"You can't just play T20 and expect to be great at Test cricket too. If someone plays Test matches, they can handle ODIs and T20s as well," he said.
For the unversed, Babar Azamwho captained Pakistan in three consecutive ICC Men's T20 World Cups (2021, 2022, and 2024)last featured in a T20I in December 2023.
Since then, he has been out of favor, missing the home series against New Zealand in March and the ongoing three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, which kicked off on May 28 in Lahore.
Babar, who has been under scrutiny for a lean run in T20Is, hasn't scored a half-century since his 75-run knock against Ireland in May 2023.
He has played 128 T20Is for Pakistan, scoring 4,223 runs at an average of 39.83, including three centuries and 36 fifties.
Earlier this year, both Babar and Rizwan were omitted from the five-match T20I series in New Zealand as selectors opted to test younger players. The pair has not returned to the T20I squad since.
In another significant development, Mohammad Rizwan was recently removed from the T20I captaincy after leading in just two series. Salman Ali Agha has been appointed as the new skipper.
Babar's father responds to Kamran's remarks
Father of star Pakistan batter Babar Azam, Azam Siddique, has issued a fiery response following Kamran Akmal's controversial comments suggesting that Babar and Mohammad Rizwan should be limited to playing only Test cricket in the future. In his Instagram post, Siddique shared an old photo featuring himself, Babar Azam, and Kamran Akmal, with a caption indirectly addressing Akmal's remarks.
He reminded the former wicketkeeper, "This child (Babar) never played under your captaincy, but you did play under his captaincy and got out for zero while he scored a century that day. Talking behind the backs of successful people is a compulsion of those who have failed."
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