Pakistan’s T20I captain Salman Ali Agha has urged the media to ease the pressure on Babar Azam, defending the star batter amid scrutiny following a disappointing Big Bash League campaign.

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Speaking at a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s T20I series against Australia, Agha expressed frustration over the continued focus on Babar, saying it was unfair to single him out while overlooking the rest of the squad.

“My only wish is that one day I come to a press conference and there are no questions about Babar,” Agha said. “There are eleven or rather fourteen, other players in the team, other batters as well. Think about them, talk about them too. Leave him alone and let him bat.”

Agha acknowledged that Babar failed to meet expectations in the Big Bash but stressed that the Pakistan batter’s form for the national side remained strong.

“You can say that in the Big Bash he couldn’t perform the way his team expected him to,” he said. “But for us, he is performing very well. He is fulfilling his role, and that’s what matters to me. What happened in the Big Bash doesn’t matter to me at all.”

Babar endured a difficult BBL season with the Sydney Sixers, scoring 202 runs in 11 matches while opening the batting at an average of 22.44 and a strike rate of 103.06, figures considered well below the benchmark for modern T20 cricket.

The season also featured a tense on-field moment when fellow opener Steve Smith opted to take the power surge for himself and rotate the strike as Babar struggled for fluency. The incident sparked widespread debate, with some former cricketers labelling Babar a liability in the format, comments that quickly went viral.

Babar was eventually released by the Sixers due to national commitments, as the franchise progressed to the finals, where they lost to the Perth Scorchers.

With the T20 World Cup approaching, questions remain over Babar’s role in Pakistan’s T20I setup. While he has not been an automatic pick in recent times, his experience could yet prove valuable in high-pressure situations.