India, March 17 -- The mystery surrounding the real reason behind Babar Azam's absence from Pakistan's recently concluded ODI series in Bangladesh deepened after head coach Mike Hesson issued a fresh explanation following the team's 2-1 series defeat in Dhaka.

The confusion began when the Pakistan Cricket Board announced the squad for the Bangladesh tour without clarifying whether Babar and several other senior players had been dropped, rested, or sidelined due to injuries.

Last Saturday, senior selector Aaqib Javed told reporters that the selectors had been informed that both Babar and Fakhar Zaman were carrying injuries following the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

However, Javed admitted he was surprised by the information and reve...