Ex-PAK star predicts Babar Azam's excuse if he fails to score in Champions Trophy: 'If he doesn't perform, he will say…'

Former cricketer Basit Ali made a scathing attack on former skipper Babar Azam ahead of the Champions Trophy. Babar, who lost his captaincy after last year's T20 World Cup, is expected to open the innings in the upcoming ICC mega event as Saim Ayub has been ruled out of the tournament due to injury. However, Basit suggested that the opening position could become an excuse for Babar if he fails to perform in the Champions Trophy, and his place in the team will remain intact irrespective of how many runs he scores.

Basit hopes that Babar delivers for the defending champions in the tournament.

"Babar's place in the team will remain unaffected, irrespective of his performance in the Champions Trophy. I hope Babar performs. If he performs, he will say I played for Pakistan. If he doesn't perform, he will say I was forcefully made to open," Basit said on his YouTube channel.

Mohammad Rizwan will lead the team, having done so since Babar stepped down from the position after the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

Before playing the tournament opener, Pakistan will feature in the tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand to bolster their preparations for the title defence. It will be where the team management will take the final call on who is going to be their second opener.

However, Pakistan's selection committee member Asad Shafiq has already indicated that Babar is the frontrunner in opening the innings, with Saud Shakeel as another option for Fakhar Zaman's opening partner.

"Fakhar’s opening partner could be either Babar Azam or Saud Shakeel, depending on various factors such as conditions, opposition and match strategy. Both players are highly capable at the top of the order, with Babar being particularly seasoned in the role, regularly opening in T20Is and also excelling in the Cape Town Test by scoring two half-centuries in Saim Ayub’s absence."

The Champions Trophy is still a couple of weeks away from commencing in Karachi, with the defending champions, Pakistan, taking on New Zealand in the tournament opener on February 19.

Pakistan squad for Champions Trophy 2025

Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (capt, wk), Khushdil Shah, Salman Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah.