Star batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were left out as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced their 17-man squad for the upcoming triangular T20I series in Sharjah and the Asia Cup in the UAE. The move hints at a clear shift in approach, with the selectors backing aggressive options like Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan and Fakhar Zaman. Neither Babar nor Rizwan has played a T20I since December 2024 against South Africa. While the two continue to be among Pakistan’s finest batting talents, head coach Mike Hesson revealed that Babar has been asked to fine-tune certain areas of his game before returning. “There’s no doubt Babar has been asked to improve in some areas, particularly against spin and in terms of his strike-rate,” Hesson told reporters at the squad unveiling. “Those are aspects I know he’s working very hard on at the moment.” Babar will turn out for the Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League later this year, a stint that head coach Mike Hesson believes could play a key role in his journey back into the Pakistan T20 side. “A player like Babar also has the opportunity to play in the BBL and showcase improvements in those areas of T20 cricket. He’s simply too good a player for us not to consider,” the coach stressed. Since Mike Hesson’s appointment, Pakistan’s white-ball fortunes have been mixed—T20 series wins against Bangladesh and West Indies offset by a defeat in Bangladesh. Adding to concerns, the West Indies sealed their first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years. Despite Babar’s lean patch, Hesson insisted his quality remains undeniable. “At the moment, the players we have are performing exceptionally well. But Babar has every chance to return by proving his game has evolved.” Pakistan will first contest a triangular T20 series involving Afghanistan and the UAE, from August 29 to September 7 in Sharjah, before heading into the Asia Cup.