Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan Urged to Follow Virat Kohli After Asia Cup 2025 Snub

Former Pakistan fast bowler Tanveer Ahmed has stirred debate after Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were left out of Pakistan’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025. He suggested that the two senior players should consider stepping away from international cricket if they feel disrespected by the selectors.

In a social media post on X, Tanveer wrote, “Meri Babar Azam or Rizwan say request ha ager ap log ye samajhtey hain ap logon ke izzat nahi ha tou retirement ley lo international cricket say humarey samney virat kholi ke examples hain @babarazam258 @iMRizwanPak izzat apney hath main ha. (My request to Babar Azam and Rizwan is that if you think you don’t have respect, then retire from international cricket. We have examples of Virat Kohli in front of us. @babarazam258 @iMRizwanPak Respect is in your own hands.)”

Babar, once the No. 1 T20I batter and former Pakistan captain, has been among the country’s most consistent performers in the format, holding several batting records. Rizwan, too, has played key roles in Pakistan’s successes in recent years, but both were left out after the team’s poor T20 World Cup campaign, where they failed to move past the group stage.

Since that exit, neither Babar nor Rizwan has featured in Pakistan’s T20I squads, with the selectors opting for fresh faces in their rebuild.

Tanveer’s remarks, drawing a comparison with Virat Kohli’s retirement from T20Is after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, have added another layer to Pakistan’s ongoing debate about senior players and the team’s direction