Babar was ignored in Pakistan’s 17-member Asia Cup squad announced last month.
Senior batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were overlooked in Pakistan’s 17-member T20I squad announced for the Asia Cup 2025 last month.
In the squad announcement presser, PCB chief selector Aqib Javed had offered blunt take on Babar and Rizwan's snubs from the continental showpiece, citing that they need work on their weak areas for a comeback.
However, an interesting development has been reported in the Pakistani media regarding Babar’s return to T20I fold.
According to a report in Cricket Pakistan, the PCB wanted to bring Babar back in the side after Pakistan suffered crushing defeats at the hands of India in the Asia Cup group stage and Super 4 fixtures. But the organisers turned down the request and replied that a player can be added to the squad mid-tournament only if an existing squad member is injured.
"Sources revealed that there is a strong possibility of Babar Azam's return for the T20I series against South Africa. With the batting lineup consistently failing, the absence of a senior batter is being strongly felt. The decision on Salman Ali Agha's role as captain and player will depend on his performance in the remaining Asia Cup match," the report stated.
"After two recent defeats against India, PCB officials have instructed that Babar Azam be brought back into the team. A few days ago, it was even decided to send the senior batter to the UAE for the Asia Cup, but the organizers made it clear to the board that no changes could be made to the squad unless a player was injured," it added.
Recently, Babar Azam was called for a red-ball training camp at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), which will begin on Tuesday (September 30), along with 10 other players ahead of the upcoming home Tests against South Africa.
The camp will run until September 28 and will be supervised by interim red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood as well as NCA coaches and support staff. The pool of 11 players includes Babar, Abdullah Shafique, Ali Raza, Azan Awais, Kamran Ghulam, among others.
"The camp has been designed to provide players with support to work on their skills, as well as to assess fitness ahead of a busy red-ball international and domestic season. The players selected are those not involved in the ongoing Hanif Mohammad Trophy (four-day). In the 20-day camp, the players will train at the National Cricket Academy and will also take part in scenario-based matches," PCB said in its statement.
The likes of Rizwan and pacer Naseem Shah remained unavailable for the training camp due to their commitments in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League.
Pakistan will face South Africa in two Tests, slated to get underway on October 12 in Lahore, followed by the fixture in Rawalpindi from October 20.