Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi And Co. Planning To Skip New Zealand Tour To Avoid Being Dropped- Report

According to sources on Friday, Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and a number of top Pakistani cricket players are considering pulling out of the forthcoming tour of New Zealand in order to avoid the prospect of being sacked.

This comes after Pakistan’s poor performance in the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Pakistan, who are hosting an ICC event for the first time since 1996, became the first team to be eliminated in the group stage. This happened after Pakistan lost to New Zealand in Karachi by 60 runs and then was humiliated by India in Dubai by 6 wickets.

Their final match against Bangladesh was washed out due to rain and as a result, Pakistan failed to qualify for the semi-finals and ended their Champions Trophy 2025 without a win before elimination.

Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, seniors at risk of being dropped

The insiders claim that certain players have started talking about taking a "break" from the series, which consists of three ODIs and five T20Is and is scheduled to take place from March 16 to April 5.

Their lackluster performances in the just-finished ICC Champions Trophy have raised worries and left Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials unhappy. According to the sources, several players are considering the possibility of willingly leaving the team out of fear of being called "dropped".

With speculations suggesting that important players like Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, and Babar Azam may be in jeopardy, speculation over possible exclusions has gotten more intense.

PCB to review Pakistan's performance in the Champions Trophy

The PCB has announced a thorough evaluation of the national team's performance following their Champions Trophy 2025 fiasco, according to Cricket Pakistan.

Despite the team's dismal performance at the major event, Aaqib Javed, the temporary head coach, is unwilling to resign. However, the PCB might not permit Aaqib Javed to remain head coach in light of mounting criticism from cricket fans and former players.

Significant changes to the Pakistan cricket

After the PCB completes the investigation, there will likely be significant changes to the coaching staff and the team, marking a turning moment in Pakistani cricket.

Notably, Pakistan's Champions Trophy 2025 campaign was a complete bust, as they finished with a meager Net Run Rate and just one point at the bottom of the table.

Also Read: Aaqib Javed On The Top As PCB Decides To Sack These People After Champions Trophy Disaster