After two turbulent years in T20I cricket, Pakistan made the bold call to move on from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. Early signs suggest the gamble is paying off, writes Sarah Waris.
When Pakistan left out Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan from the T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year, soon after their Champions Trophy campaign at home ended without a single win, it seemed like another knee-jerk reaction from the board.
It was not the first time the players had been held accountable. Babar had been dropped from the England Test series at home last year after a poor run of scores and Pakistan’s defeats, only to return immediately for the South Africa matches that followed. The constant back-and-forth over the captaincy had also dominated headlines, with Babar removed and then reinstated amid friction with Shaheen Afridi, who had briefly taken over as T20I skipper. Against that backdrop, their omission once again looked like the PCB blaming two of their most experienced names at a time when the national team was struggling. The expectation was that both would return once the criticism died down.
But the numbers since, tell a different story. Across 16 T20Is without Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan have won nine. Their win/loss ratio in this phase stands at 1.285, up from 0.666 in 2023 and 0.562 in 2024, which was their third-worst calendar year in the format.
As things stand, the duo are not close to making the final 15. With the T20 World Cup in India only months away, Pakistan appear to have moved on, and in doing so, may have improved their chances for the tournament.
An explosive batting line-up
Babar and Rizwan’s struggles in T20Is were well known: batting too long with slow strike rates. Between January 2023 and December 2024, the two faced 1,285 deliveries out of the 2,894 balls consumed by Pakistan’s top five batters, which is 44 per cent. Their combined strike rate in this period was only 128.17, not ideal in a landscape where teams were moving rapidly towards higher-tempo cricket.
Since the New Zealand tour, Pakistan’s openers have scored at 143.49. That is still behind the strike rates of India’s openers (191.66) in the last year, and also lower than those of Australia, England, New Zealand, Ireland and the West Indies, but the overall picture is more promising. This was a phase where Pakistan experimented, trying various combinations before settling on Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, with Fakhar Zaman at No.3 in the ongoing tri-series in the UAE. Until the Bangladesh series, Fakhar and Ayub were the first-choice openers, with Farhan on the bench. Now all three play.
Farhan’s strike rate of 149.13 after eight games stands out, while Ayub and Fakhar are the only two Pakistan batters with more than 500 T20I runs at a strike rate above 140 since the start of 2024. For a side long reliant on two anchors, that is significant progress.
33 sixes in 16 innings for Hasan Nawaz.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 31, 2025
No other Pakistan batter else has hit even 20 😮#HasanNawaz #Cricket pic.twitter.com/YpSdaJwZOF
Middle overs and finishers
The bigger change has come from the middle order and finishers. Between 2023 and 2024, Pakistan’s strike rate in overs 7-15 was only 117.39. Twenty-four players batted in the top five in this period, but only Babar, Rizwan and Fakhar faced more than 200 balls. Fakhar batted at a strike rate close to 140; Rizwan's was 108.40, and Babar's stood at 138.36. It became a deadlock: 'Rizbar' anchored because the middle order, averaging 20.18 in this phase, was unsteady, while the middle order failed to grow because Babar and Rizwan consumed most of the strike.
At the death, only Iftikhar Ahmed had scored more than 100 runs at a strike rate above 150, but across 14 innings, he faced just 112 balls, or eight per game. Their most explosive hitter was barely involved.
In 2025, that has changed. Apart from skipper Salman Ali Agha (SR: 125.16) and Fakhar (SR: 112.38, affected by injury layoffs), six batters have scored over 100 runs at a strike rate above 140, a significant increase from the two who did so between 2023 and 2024 (Zaman and Irfan Khan). The tempo no longer dips: Pakistan’s middle-over strike rate is 140.39, while five players have made 40 or more runs at a strike rate above 150 in the last five overs, with Mohammad Haris, Shadab Khan, Hasan Nawaz and Faheem Ashraf all striking at over 160. Nawaz, in particular, has been a revelation. The 23-year-old batter who had a breakthrough PSL 2025, has taken to a new role in T20Is with ease. His strike rate of 174.13 is by far the best any Pakistan batter with moe than 100 T20I runs has managed, ever.
For once, the responsibility is being shared, and failure from one hitter no longer derails the innings.
All-round depth
Another crucial change has been the emergence of all-rounders, central to modern T20 cricket. Six Pakistan players this year have scored at least 80 runs and taken a wicket, including two from the top order in Ayub and Agha. It reflects the side’s effort to squeeze maximum value from every role.
Faheem at No.8 has been particularly important: he not only adds depth with the bat but can reliably bowl four overs of seam. Shadab offers leg-spin along with the ability to score quickly through the middle overs, while Nawaz provides a left-arm orthodox option. Khushdil Shah adds another left-arm angle, with the bonus of power-hitting in the lower order. Agha and Ayub, meanwhile, give them part-time off-spin choices, covering the match-ups against left-handers.
This variety allows Pakistan to pick XIs that suit conditions and opposition. They can field two left-arm spinners alongside a leg-spinner if the pitch turns, or go with extra seam if there is movement. It gives the captain flexibility, reduces the chance of being one-dimensional, and provides batting insurance deeper down the order.
Bowling remains their base
Pakistan’s bowling continues to be their strongest suit. The pace attack of Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf remains formidable, backed by spinners who bring variety and control, including Abrar Ahmed and Sufyan Muqeem. Crucially, Pakistan are no longer reliant only on their frontline trio. The PSL has unearthed further depth, with Hasan Ali rediscovering form and Abbas Afridi and Salman Mirza emerging as promising options. The pool now looks healthier than in recent years, with several bowlers either performing consistently or developing quickly at the highest level.
While the bowling has steadily improved, it was their batting that needed a structural shift, which has occurred. From January 2023 to December 2024, Pakistan made 180 nine times in 38 T20Is; they have crossed the mark seven times in 16 innings already this year. For years, their T20 template was built on caution and security. Now, the side bats with greater freedom and younger players playing without fear.
After years of waiting and hoping, Pakistan’s T20I side finally looks modern and balanced. They might not be "Asia's second-best team" currently, but they look more dangerous than they have in years.
*All stats till September 1, 2025
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