Peshawar is preparing for a night of nostalgia, passion, and purpose. Just weeks before the Asia Cup 2025 kicks off in the UAE, the city will witness its cricketing heroes uniting for a cause far greater than the game itself a Flood Relief Match that promises to tug at the heartstrings of millions.
The spotlight, as always, falls on Babar Azam. Once the poster boy of Pakistan cricket, Babar has been under immense pressure ever since selectors dropped the bombshell last month leaving him out of the squad for the Asia Cup 2025, citing his “outdated” T20 approach. For many, it was unthinkable. How could Pakistan’s most consistent batsman of the last decade, the very man who carried their batting through turbulent times, be cast aside so abruptly?
The decision stung even more as Babar has not featured in T20Is since the 2024 South Africa tour. The whispers grew louder: Had Pakistan moved on from their most bankable star? Was this the end of an era?
And yet, true to his character, Babar has chosen grace over bitterness. Instead of sulking on the sidelines, he will walk out in Peshawar alongside living legends Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan, and Kamran Akmal. Together, they will play for the people for those devastated by the floods that ravaged parts of Pakistan.
The symbolism could not be more powerful. A player left out of national colours, yet still draped in the love of his people. A team sheet that reads like a timeline of Pakistan cricket, with stars of different generations uniting for a single cause. A reminder that while tournaments and formats come and go, cricket’s heartbeat is its bond with the nation.
As the Men in Green prepare for the Tri-Series against Afghanistan and the UAE their final rehearsal before the Asia Cup Babar Azam will be playing a very different innings. Not one measured in runs or strike rates, but in smiles restored and lives uplifted.
For Pakistan fans, the Flood Relief Match will not just be about charity. It will be about hope. About seeing Babar Azam, still wielding his bat, not as a discarded cricketer but as a symbol of resilience. And perhaps, just perhaps, as a gentle reminder to the selectors that legends don’t fade — they rise, again and again.
