Pakistan's cricket community is ablaze after Chief Selector Ajib Javed confirmed that the recent rumors were true and Babar Azam will not be in the 17-member squad for the T20I Asia Cup. Fans were taken by surprise as they expected the experienced batter to play at this big tournament, but Javed said that they were committed to their team plans, and every decision made was with the long-term plan in mind.

Babar, who is one of Pakistan's biggest run-scorers over the past couple of years, has been outside of the T20I considerations in the last few series, but his omission from the Asia Cup squad has opened up more conversations about the selectors and their perceived biases. Pakistan appears interested in reshaping its batting order and giving younger and newer players opportunities, and management seems focused on keeping a modern look at its talent targets and avoiding perceived inheritances.

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Babar Azam left out of Asia Cup squad but kept on standby by selectors

Reports additionally indicate that Babar was unable to participate in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) this season either. It’s believed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) does not want him playing franchise cricket abroad, instead preferring him to stay on standby for the Asia Cup. While Babar may be off the main squad for now, it shows the selectors have him in their plans for something like a back-up during the tournament, in case they need to call on him.

This situation has raised plenty of debate among fans and experts alike. Some claim it's a risk to leave out a player of Babar's quality, particularly for such an important tournament, given his experience and ability to set an innings up, which has been crucial in recent tournaments. Other comparisons have been made that the selectors are looking ahead and are right to be building a team for the future, capable of doing well and adapting to the fast pace of modern T20 games.

Babar Azam's role in Pakistan's T20 set-up can be somewhat uncertain at the moment. Given his absence, Pakistan may seem to be heading in a different direction strategically, but with him being kept on standby, we cannot officially discount him being called into the playing XI.