Is Asking #BabarAzam to Keep Wickets Really the Answer?

In a surprising development, reports suggest that Pakistan’s new white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, has floated the idea of #BabarAzam returning to the T20I setup as a wicketkeeper-batter. The proposal reportedly came during a closed-door meeting following Pakistan’s T20I series win over Bangladesh. The rationale behind the suggestion is Hesson’s belief that modern T20 cricket demands multi-skilled players who can contribute in more than one discipline—bat, bowl, or keep wickets. However, the suggestion has raised eyebrows across the cricketing fraternity, as Babar has never kept wickets in his professional career. If true, this signals a dramatic shift in Pakistan’s approach to team composition and player roles.

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If this report is accurate, the idea is, quite frankly, a bad one. Babar Azam is one of Pakistan’s premier batting talents, and asking him to suddenly take up wicketkeeping—an extremely specialized skill—could not only backfire but also distract him from what truly needs improvement: his strike rate in T20 cricket. Instead of reinventing his role, the focus should be on helping him adapt to the demands of modern T20 batting—rotating strike better, accelerating in the middle overs, and finishing strongly. These are areas where he has room to grow and which directly impact Pakistan’s batting performance.

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Moreover, Pakistan already has several capable wicketkeepers, including Rizwan, Haris and Sahibzada Farhan, who are more naturally suited to the role. Asking #BabarAzam to don the gloves seems like a desperate attempt to force versatility where it isn’t needed. What Pakistan needs from Babar is not gloves—but gears. If he can elevate his strike rate while retaining his consistency, he’ll be an invaluable asset to the team in his natural role, without needing to redefine it.