‘Mind your choice of words:’ Babar Azam's father fires back at his critics

Pakistan's opening batter Babar Azam's father, Azam Siddiqui, has come out in strong support of his son following his exclusion from the national squad for the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

Expressing his full support, Siddiqui highlighted Babar's resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks, stating, "He will perform in the National T20 and in PSL."

The former skipper's father appeared disheartened by the decision, as the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) move to drop Babar left him surprised.

He said, "A member of the ICC's Twenty20 team of the year, and even after receiving the ICC cap, he gets dropped."

"It's okay. He will perform in the National T20 and PSL, and he will make a strong comeback," he added. 

Defending his son's performance in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Siddiqui urged senior and former cricketers to avoid using inappropriate words for Babar, warning that "they wouldn’t tolerate it if he were to respond to their comments."

Read: Babar, Rizwan dropped from T20I as PCB announces squad for NZ tour

"You are the past, and you will not play again," he said, addressing Babar's critics. Responding to those who question his vocal defense of his son, Siddiqui asserted, "Some people object that his father speaks too much, but I am his first and last coach, spokesperson, mentor, biggest well-wisher, and his father."

Taking aim at sports analysts on TV, he urged Babar’s fans not to pay attention to such commentators and instead refer to PCB's website for accurate information about Babar’s cricketing career.