Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been dropped from the squad for the Asia Cup 2025 tournament in UAE next month.

Babar Azam faces significant challenges after being excluded from the Pakistan central contracts for the 2025-26 season, dropping from Category A. He has also been omitted from the squad for the upcoming series,

Babar Azam got out for a three-ball duck after Jayden Seales castled him in the second ODI on Sunday at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson revealed that Babar Azam was dropped from Pakistan’s Asia Cup 2025 squad due to his low T20 strike rate and struggles against spin, urging the star batter to prove himself in the Big Bash League for a comeback.

Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson took to social media to explain the Asia Cup squad selection after facing criticism for leaving out Babar Azam criticism.

India’s Shubman Gill continues to dominate the ODI batting table, holding firm at No.1 with 784 points. Rohit Sharma sits second, followed by Babar Azam in third, Virat Kohli in fourth, and New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell in fifth. Imam-ul-Haq, currently playing county cricket in England, slipped to 42nd.

Pakistan coach Mike Hesson highlights Babar Azam's potential return to the T20I team depends on improving his play against spin and increasing his strike rate. Azam's exclusion from the upcoming tri-series squad comes despite his strong domestic performance.