The former Pakistan captain, Rashid Latif, has supported their past T20I captain, Babar Azam, heading into the T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka, despite the batter’s constant failure to be a regular member of the national side. He reckoned that if Baba can’t be a part of the team despite scoring 1000 runs, then it will be a massive issue. 

In history, the Lahore-born, Babar Azam, is the leading run-getter of the T20I cricket with 4453 runs in 130 innings at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate of 128.40, with the help of three centuries and 38 half-centuries at the best score of 122 runs. But the current few games haven’t been great for the veteran batter.

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“If Babar Azam can’t be part of the ninth-ranked Pakistan side after scoring 1000 runs, then Salman Ali Agha can’t even come near the T20I side even with three fifties.” Latif has expressed in a video on X (formerly known as Twitter) that has gone viral on social media.

Rashid Latif backs Babar Azam for T20 World Cup 2026

Babar was recently part of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025/26 season for the Sydney Sixers, where he collected 202 runs at an average of 22.44 in 11 innings and a strike rate of just over 100 with the help of two half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 58 runs.

Watch the video here: 

“IF BABAR AZAM CANNOT BE PART OF THIS 9th RANK PAKISTAN TEAM AFTER SCORING 1000s OF RUNS THEN SALMAN ALI AGHA WITH 3 50s SHOULD NOT EVEN BE NEAR THE TEAM”

- RASHID LATIF pic.twitter.com/dBC0xg3Yq1

— Kh4N PCT (@Kh4N_PCT) January 31, 2026

During the first couple of T20Is against Australia, the right-hand batter has returned with scores of 24 and two. On the other hand, Salman Agha has nailed two strong knocks of 39 and 76 against Australia, which will be a massive boost for the national side.

In this home T20I series. Pakistan has decided to open with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub, while Agha has promoted himself to number three, dropping Babar at number four in the batting lineup. The latest will need to back his game against the spinners to help his side in the spin-friendly Sri Lankan conditions during the World Cup.