Why is Babar Azam Missing From PCB’s Eid Video?

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) released a festive Eid-al-Adha video on Friday, featuring national cricketers sharing warm greetings with fans around the world. The video included appearances from several players, including captain Salman Ali Agha, Mohammad Rizwan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Haris, Shaheen Afridi, Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, and Aamer Jamal.

But one name was conspicuously absent: Babar Azam. The omission of Pakistan’s star batter and former captain quickly became the talk of social media, with fans expressing confusion and disappointment. Many viewers said they watched the video specifically to see Babar’s message, only to be left wondering why he was missing.

The absence is especially notable given that Babar, despite being dropped from the recent T20 series against Bangladesh, remains one of the most popular and marketable faces in Pakistani cricket. While Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi, who were also left out of the squad for that series, appeared in the video, Babar’s nonappearance has fueled speculation and criticism of the PCB’s decision-making.

Some fans took to social media to voice their frustration, with one commenting, “I waited the whole video for Babar’s Eid wish,” while others called the omission “heartbreaking.” The PCB has not issued any official explanation for Babar’s absence.

Currently, the national team is on a short break, celebrating Eid with their families after a successful 3-0 T20I series win over Bangladesh in Lahore. The team is expected to tour Bangladesh in July for another T20I series, with matches scheduled for July 20, 22, and 24 in Dhaka. This series, arranged outside the ICC Future Tours Programme, was set up following discussions between the PCB and the Bangladesh Cricket Board.

After the Bangladesh tour, Pakistan will travel to the West Indies for a white-ball series from July 31 to August 12.

For now, fans are left with one burning question: Why is Babar Azam missing from PCB’s Eid video? Until the board or the player addresses the issue, speculation is likely to continue.