Ex-Pakistan Coach Criticises Babar’s Exclusion Amid Team’s Ongoing Asia Cup Woes

Pakistan cricket team’s ongoing batting struggles during the Asia Cup have not gone unnoticed by their former coach Mickey Arthur, who has pointed to Babar Azam’s omission as the main reason behind the woes.

Pakistan, who reached the Super Four stage of the Asia Cup following their win over the UAE, has failed to find significant contributions from the batting lineup—especially the top order. Mickey Arthur believes dropping Babar is the root cause of the team’s struggles, calling the decision “beyond comprehension.”

Babar, the second-highest run-scorer of all time in T20 internationals, has not featured in the format since the away series against South Africa last December. His exclusion from the Asia Cup squad is seen as part of the team management’s strategy to back younger players with the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in mind. However, Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan have failed to live up to expectations on their first meaningful tournament together, with Saim especially struggling as he sits without a run to his name from three games.

The duo once again fell cheaply against the UAE, prompting Mickey Arthur to express his disbelief on X (formerly Twitter):

“How Babar is not in this batting line-up is totally beyond me!” he wrote.

Despite the win against the UAE, Pakistan’s batting concerns remain glaring. Their highest total in the tournament so far is 160/7, achieved against Oman in the opening fixture thanks to a late flourish from Mohammad Haris. In the marquee clash against India, Pakistan managed just 127/9, a total comfortably chased down by their rivals with more than four overs to spare.

Mickey Arthur, who guided Pakistan to their famous Champions Trophy triumph in 2017, believes leaving out a batter of Babar’s calibre has exposed the team’s lack of depth at the top. His remarks have reignited debate among fans and pundits over whether Pakistan can afford to sideline their most accomplished T20 run-scorer during a major tournament.

As Pakistan enters the Super Four stage with its batting unit under scrutiny, all eyes will be on how the selectors and team management respond to growing criticism over Babar’s absence, and whether this team can find success without their former captain.