Pakistan Drops Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan for New Zealand T20I Series

Pakistan's cricket selectors have brought in radical changes to the T20I side for the coming series against New Zealand. The biggest shock is that Babar Azam, the ex-captain, and Mohammad Rizwan, the wicketkeeper-batter, have been left out of the squad. Salman Agha is now the new T20I captain in their place, while Shadab Khan will act as the vice-captain.

New Faces in the Squad
With Babar and Rizwan unavailable, Pakistan has brought in new players to try their luck in T20 cricket. Mohammad Haris has been brought back into the team, while young guns such as Hasan Nawaz and Abdul Samad have been handed an opportunity. Omair Yousuf, a talented batter from the Quetta Gladiators, has also been added to the team.The bowling attack is unchanged, with Shaheen Afridi and Haris Rauf heading the pace attack. But Naseem Shah has been left out of the T20I team.

Pakistan name ODI and T20I squads for New Zealand tour

Details here ➡️ https://t.co/h5ZvZ3nuOY#NZvPAK

— PCB Media (@TheRealPCBMedia) March 4, 2025

Changes in the ODI Squad
For the ODI team, Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as the captain, and Babar Azam is still in the squad. Shaheen Afridi, however, has been omitted from the ODI team. Left-arm pacer Akif Javed has been given his maiden call-up to the national team in his place. Abdullah Shafique also returns to the ODI team after being left out of the last tournaments.
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Reason for the Changes
These are part of Pakistan's plan to try out new combinations before the T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies and USA next year. The selectors are eager to try out new talent and prepare a balanced team for the future.

For Pakistan, cricket is more than just a game-it is a feeling. The country's cricketing prosperity has been represented by players such as Babar Azam. However, through recent incidents, it has been proven how public perception can change in no time. In February 2025, Pakistani fans at the ground began publicly mocking and abusing Babar Azam while the live match of cricket was being played. A video of the incident went viral in social media circles, and it fueled discussions among cricket lovers.

What happened?
This section reports the on-field action: fans began chanted insulting abuses with derogatory slogans against Babar Azam, referring to him as a "ghante ka king" meaning false king, and insulting his form of batting by comparison to New Zealand's Michael Bracewell whose link is not known.
The video of this incident spread like wildfire on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). It has provoked mixed reactions. Some fans joined the criticism. Others stuck up for Babar and reminded everyone of his contribution to Pakistan cricket.

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Why are fans upset?
There are a few possible reasons behind this behavior:

Pakistani fans abusing babar Azam in stadium calling him "ghante ka king bracewell ki auld 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/w7oDC3yfki

— Bewda babloo 🧉 (@babloobhaiya3) February 8, 2025

Recent Performance Issue: Babar Azam was a regular batter, not necessarily now. It might be the reason for dissatisfaction among fans.
Pakistan Team Performance: Actually, if the nation is losing their key matches, then the captain usually comes under full attack.
Fan Anticipations: Cricket fans in Pakistan are very passionate. When their favorite does not deliver their expectations, then abusive sayings take over criticism.
Reactions from Cricket Experts and Fans
Many former cricketers and analysts have spoken out against this kind of behavior.