Did Babar Azam pick up an injury during the T20 World Cup?

Pakistan right-handed batter Babar Azam is not part of the side’s three-match ODI series against Bangladesh, which began a week after they crashed out of the T20 World Cup.

Rest or Injured?

Despite his woeful run during the tournament, Babar's exclusion from the ODI side was shocking, to say the least. For one, the one-day format remains one of his better suits, at least in comparison to other formats. He scored an unbeaten hundred in the last ODI series he played.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not disclose the reason behind his axe, it was widely understood that the management wants to rest Babar following his dismal World Cup campaign. 

There were also reports that the top-order batter would be sent back to domestic cricket to play in the National T20 Cup, where he was announced as part of Lahore Whites’ squad.

However, during a press conference on Saturday, Pakistan’s selection committee — which, following Aleem Dar’s resignation, includes Misbah-ul-Haq and Sarfaraz Ahmed — Javed claimed that Babar picked up an injury during the World Cup.

"Some players were not included in this series [against Bangladesh]. Concerning Babar Azam's injury, when he came back from there (the T20 World Cup), our doctor also examined him. The injury he has is not allowing him to play this series, or the National T20 Cup... he wanted to play that, but he is injured," Javed said during a media conference at Gadaffi Stadium, Lahore.

Javed requests an inquiry into the injuries

Curiously, Javed questioned why Babar and Fakhar were allowed to play despite their injuries, though it remains unclear to whom his question was addressed, provided he was part of the selection process himself.

"Fakhar is also injured – on this, we have also requested the cricket board for an inquiry. How can it be that Fakhar is also unfit, that only after the World Cup is over, these two players' injuries have come to us?”

“During the World Cup, when they were playing, was their fitness not being taken care of? Were they in the squad without being fully fit? We are selectors; we should know these things," he added.

While Fakhar Zaman has a history of injuries, especially hamstring related, Babar has hardly had any such struggles throughout his career. The right-handed batter is due to play in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in less than a fortnight, where he will likely lead Peshawar Zalmi. Whether this suspected and mysterious injury is serious enough to rule him out of the league remains to be seen.

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