The Pakistani player had a challenging World Cup experience because he could only score 22.75 runs per match throughout his four games. After returning home, he missed the domestic tournament opener where Lahore Whites played under captain Aamir Jamal alongside players such as Ali Raza, Mohammad Mohsin, Kamran Afzal, and Junaid Ali.

Earlier, selectors left Babar out of Pakistan’s ODI squad for the tour of Bangladesh. The experienced batter concentrated on domestic cricket after he received selection to the Lahore Whites squad following his previous setback. The initial National T20 Cup squad did not include Babar but officials added him to the team later which created higher expectations among fans. Fans did not expect the 31-year-old player to miss the game because captain Aamir Jamal announced his unavailability.

The right-hand batter has achieved an outstanding T20 record which includes more than 11,900 runs and maintains an average of 41.91 and a strike rate of 128.31. The team management chose not to include him in the playing XI for the opening fixture that started at 4:15 p.m. IST. Aamir Jamal the captain confirmed the decision when he appeared for the toss.

Jamal later discussed Babar's absence but he did not provide any specific explanation for it. The Pakistani star will join the squad later in the tournament because the team has not yet provided an official statement about his status. The Lahore Whites will compete against Faisalabad Region on March 9 because that match will serve as Babar's first appearance. The Pakistan players must work to restore their playing rhythm after their T20 World Cup elimination.

The National T20 Cup features several international cricketers who include Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, and Usama Mir.

The tournament will continue until March 18 because the semifinals will take place on March 17 in Peshawar before the final match. The event has led many national players to return to domestic competition after they had been away for an extended period. Babar Azam has not yet played his first match in the competition because star players have joined their teams. Fans still hope to see the former Pakistan captain participate in the tournament.

Pakistan demonstrated strong potential during the T20 World Cup group stage matches. The team lost their essential net run-rate match against New Zealand during the Super 8 round which prevented them from reaching the semifinals. Pakistan faced two setbacks when their match against England national cricket team ended in defeat and one match got canceled. The team performed well throughout the tournament but these two events decreased their chances of success.