No Babar, no crowd in Bangladesh series, claims Basit Ali

Former Test cricketer Basit Ali has claimed that the absence of star batter Babar Azam from the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh will lead to poor crowd turnout.

Speaking about the three-match T20I series scheduled to be held at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium from May 28 to June 1, Basit Ali expressed disappointment over the exclusion of several senior players from the squad.

"If Babar Azam is not playing, there will be no crowd in the stadium," Basit said. "People want to see him. When he plays, people come to watch."

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) recently announced the names included in the 16-member squad for the series. Notably, senior players such as Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi were excluded. This decision didn't sit well with Basit Ali, who believes Babar's absence will directly affect stadium attendance.

Babar Azam is currently considered one of the biggest crowd-pullers in Pakistan cricket. His popularity was clearly visible during the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), where matches involving his team, Peshawar Zalmi, consistently drew packed stadiums.

A key figure in Pakistan cricket, Babar has captained the national team in three ICC Men's T20 World Cups, in 2021, 2022, and most recently in 2024. He last played for Pakistan in the T20 format in December last year and was also left out of the squad for the T20I series against New Zealand in March.

Having played 128 T20 internationals, Babar has scored 4,223 runs at an impressive average of 39.83, including three centuries and 36 fifties. His consistency and stylish batting have made him one of the top batters in world cricket.

As Pakistan prepares for the upcoming T20 World Cup, the decision to rest senior players may be part of a rotation strategy. However, Basit Ali believes it could come at the cost of fan engagement and stadium attendance.

Meanwhile, national team head coach Mike Hesson has responded to questions about Babar and Rizwan's exclusion by saying that "no player will be selected in the team based on experience or reputation."