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Pakistan pacer Rumman Raees has offered a candid piece of advice to star batter Babar Azam, suggesting that the latter consider retiring from T20 cricket to refocus on the longer formats.
Speaking during a podcast appearance alongside Fawad Alam, Raees described his remarks as a “friendly suggestion,” emphasising that Babar’s dip in form in the shortest format could have a broader impact on his overall game.
“There is no doubt about his class or his batting,” Raees said. “But in T20 cricket, I feel he should respectfully consider retirement and focus on ODI and Test formats.”
The left-arm pacer, who represented Pakistan between 2016 and 2018, argued that struggles in one format can often spill over into others, particularly given the fast-paced and high-pressure nature of T20 cricket.
“When performance drops in one format, it can affect the others as well. T20 is short and sharp, but its impact reflects on your overall game,” he added.
Babar Azam, widely regarded as one of the finest batters of his generation, has come under increasing scrutiny over his recent performances in T20 internationals.
Despite being among the leading run-scorers in the format globally, his returns in recent tournaments have failed to match expectations.
He was notably left out of Pakistan’s T20I plans in late 2024 and remained on the sidelines for a significant part of 2025, including the ACC Men’s Asia Cup.
Although he made a return later that year and featured in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, his campaign did little to silence critics. Babar managed just 91 runs in six matches during the tournament, averaging 22.75, with a highest score of 46.
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