Mike Hesson confirms Babar Azam's batting position for South Africa T20Is

Pakistan's white-ball head coach Mike Hesson on Sunday confirmed that Babar Azam would bat at three in the upcoming T20I series against South Africa.

The former captain last played for the national side in T20Is against South Africa in Centurion in December 2024. He, however, remains an integral part of the ODI and Test squads.

Speaking at a media briefing in Rawalpindi, Hesson expressed hope that Azam would make a successful return to the shorter format following his squad selection.

"I certainly endorse his selection, with Fakhar Zaman sent to first-class cricket," he said.

"And that created an opportunity for another top-order player, and it is a great opportunity to get Babar back into the squad. He's likely to bat at three, so it's a role that I'm very confident he'll be able to do well in," he added.

The Pakistan coach said that wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris was excluded from the squad due to his consistent failures despite being given repeated opportunities.

"Haris is young, he needs improvement," he said, adding that Usman Khan was included in the T20I squad due to his batting prowess against spin.

Pakistan have named a 15-member squad for the T20I series against South Africa and the subsequent tri-nation event, and a 16-member lineup for the ODIs against South Africa and Sri Lanka.

Hesson said that the South Africa T20I series and tri-nation series would help team management explore options for the T20 World Cup.

Sharing his views on the Green Shirts' loss to India in the final of the Asia Cup 2025, the Pakistan coach described the defeat as "disappointing".

He also hailed Usman Tariq as a "spin talent" while confirming that Sufiyan Moqim has been released to play domestic cricket.