Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has shut down talk of whether he would continue to play all formats and reaffirmed his desire to continue playing in all three formats, saying a player’s job is to play, not to decide which format to skip.
Babar has been a mainstay for Pakistan across formats for the majority of his career, but in recent times the 31-year-old has struggled to make runs on a consistent basis, and the right-hander failed to make much of an impression during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year.
But a title-winning run as captain with Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) has revived Babar, who scored two centuries across 11 matches to finish as the leading run-scorer at the tournament with a record-equalling 588 runs in 11 matches.
“My focus is on all three formats. It’s not for the player to decide (which format to skip); a player’s job is to play. In my opinion, every player should play every form of cricket. You shouldn’t focus only on the white ball or T20s. Red-ball cricket gives you immense experience. It teaches you how to build an innings and gives you patience,” said Babar in a post-match presser following the PSL 2026 title run.
“When you play four-day cricket or any domestic circuit, you gain the experience of scoring ‘long’ runs. You should play all three formats because each one helps the other. Red ball helps you in T20s and ODIs. When you play Test matches, the patience and mindset you develop—the art of playing a long innings—benefit you significantly in white-ball cricket,” he added.
Babar will likely get an immediate chance to continue his rich vein of form when Pakistan take on Bangladesh away from home in a two-match Test series that commences on Friday.
The last time Babar scored a century in Test cricket was back in December 2022. His recent record against the white-ball prior to the PSL is not much better with his sole half-century this calendar year coming at T20I level against Australia at the start of February and just prior to the T20 World Cup.
“I was not up to my own expectations, but it is normal for a batter to struggle with his execution. You have to take a few steps back and assess where you are going wrong and correct it. You need support in such times, and my family and close friends kept me motivated.
“I discussed the areas of improvement with the coaches who are close to me and worked on them. Life is like a rollercoaster, and things never stay the same. You learn from your good and bad experiences. That is how life goes,” he added.
