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New twist in Babar Azam saga as Aussie cricket fans set to be robbed for Pakistan T20 series
It's a series that throws BBL outcast Babar Azam back in front of his tormentors and promises to add further fuel to the Steve Smith World Cup debate – but you won't see a ball of it live in Australia. The Aussie T20 cricket squad is in Pakistan for a three-match series ahead of next month's World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, but it's set to pass almost unnoticed back home despite the many storylines.
With the first game to be played in Lahore on January 29, no broadcaster has yet grabbed the rights to show the series in Australia despite a summer of enormous ratings for Test and T20 cricket. Unless an 11th hour deal is struck, Australian cricket viewers will be robbed of the opportunity to watch rising stars Jack Edwards and Mahli Beardman make their international debuts.
And there will be no close scrutiny of Australia's batsmen – missing the rested Tim David and Glenn Maxwell – as the push to include the in-form Smith continues to gain momentum. Selectors have named a provisional 15-man World Cup squad and have until January 31 to officially lodge their line-up.
David, Maxwell, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Ellis will all miss the Pakistan series but will be back for the World Cup. "I think the Pakistan series would be a bit of hard sell for a broadcaster despite some obvious attractions," one Australian television insider told Yahoo Sport Australia.
"The games don't start until 10pm (AEDT) and the Aussies are missing a few big names so the star power is not quite there. Having said that, it's 2026 and sports fans are used to following their favourite teams wherever in the world they are playing. Hopefully something can be sorted at the last minute but it doesn't look good."
Babar Azam set to avoid more scrutiny in Australia
Australian fans will also miss seeing Babar's response to his forgettable BBL stint – less than a fortnight after the Pakistan superstar abruptly returned home in the middle of the Sydney Sixers' finals campaign. Several players who helped piled on the misery during the BBL – along with four Sixers teammates – are part of the Australian squad.
Azam's return to the national set-up has attracted some heavy criticism in Pakistan. But skipper Salman Ali Agha told reporters: "(Babar's form) has not been as bad as you people portray it to be. His performance in the Big Bash did not go well, but it was in different conditions. All that matters to me is that he performs well for Pakistan."
White-ball head coach James Hesson added: "We see a very different role for Babar than what you have in the BBL. Babar Azam has a lot of other skills to offer. We know what a world-class player he is and how flexible he can be, depending on what the team requires."
'Doesn't look good': New twist in Babar Azam saga as Aussie cricket fans robbed again
It comes after Babar Azam abruptly quit the BBL. Read more here.
