Babar, Rizwan in Hesson's T20 plans

Both Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are considered for Asia Cup 2025 and 2026 T20 World Cup. Photo: AFP

Newly appointed Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson is reportedly in favor of bringing Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan into the T20 setup.

Both players, who were recently sidelined, are now being considered for a return as part of preparations for the upcoming Asia Cup 2025 and 2026 T20 World Cup.

While new faces may be tested in the upcoming home T20I series against Bangladesh, Hesson is keen on including the senior duo in long-term plans.

Babar and Rizwan were previously dropped for the T20I series against New Zealand, a decision made by the national selection committee to provide younger players with international exposure.

The wicketkeeper batter was also removed from T20I captaincy after just one series, with Salman Ali Agha taking over leadership duties in the shortest format.

Reliable sources have confirmed that Hesson recently met with selector Aqib Javed at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) headquarters to discuss team strategy moving forward.

Insiders close to Hesson reveal that the head coach is looking to refine the techniques of both Babar and Rizwan, urging them to adopt a more aggressive approach and improve their strike rates.

In a private conversation, Hesson reportedly described them as "match-winners" who, if given the right role, can still deliver game-changing performances.

Pakistan's next T20I assignment is a five-match home series against Bangladesh, scheduled to be held in Faisalabad and Lahore later this month.

However, the political tensions between India and Pakistan have had a ripple effect on domestic cricket, causing a brief suspension of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10.

The remaining matches of PSL 10 are now set to resume from May 17, which has led to a scheduling conflict.

The series opener against Bangladesh was initially planned for May 25, the same day the PSL 10 final is now scheduled to take place, potentially pushing the bilateral series further ahead on the calendar.

BD wait for PAK tour

The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has received a nod from the government for the upcoming white-ball tour of Pakistan, international media reported on Thursday.

According to a report, the cricket board has been directed to go ahead with the tour, comprising five T20Is, but still awaits the official letter, which is expected to be dispatched soon.

"We have got the green signal (from the government) though we are yet to receive the official letter which we are expecting sooner than latter but as far as I know government have taken the decision in principle that they will let us visit Pakistan for the upcoming tour," a BCB official told an international sports website.

"After getting the official letter from the government we will start talking with our players as we learnt that some of them are reluctant to travel citing security reason. One thing we can assure is that we won't push anyone," he added.

Notably, the BCB had earlier said that it was awaiting the clearance from the government and would then discuss with the players before travelling to Pakistan.

The Tigers are currently on a brief tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where they will play two T20Is on May 17 and 19.

Bangladesh were then supposed to tour Pakistan for a five-match T20I series, originally scheduled to commence on May 25 in Faisalabad, but the suspension of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 means that the two cricket boards have to make tweaks to the schedule.

As a result, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) sent a revised proposed itinerary to the BCB on May 13. According to which, Faisalabad will host the first three T20Is on May 27, 29 and June 1, while the remaining two matches will be played in Lahore on June 3 and 5.

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