Babar Azam putting pressure on Pakistan, not himself: Legends slam T20 World Cup show
Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri have raised concerns over Babar Azam's slow starts in Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign. They believe Pakistan must act quickly, either shifting his role or making changes.
Cricket legends Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri have dug into one of Pakistan’s biggest early headaches at the T20 World Cup 2026: what exactly is going on with Babar Azam. The former captain has carried his shaky T20I form into the tournament, and his struggles in the middle order are now starting to feel like a genuine problem for Pakistan’s balance.
Babar’s latest sluggish outing came in Pakistan’s nervy win over the Netherlands, where he scored 15 off 18 balls in a chase that should have been comfortably wrapped up. On The ICC Review, Ponting did not hold back on the pressure that kind of innings creates in modern T20 cricket.
“If you're 15 off 18 balls, you're not just putting pressure on yourself, you're putting pressure on the guy at the other end,” Ponting said. “Babar needs to hit boundaries early on otherwise the whole momentum of the game is going to change every time he goes in.”
Shastri, meanwhile, framed it as a battle of expectation and urgency, especially for senior batters in high-stakes events. “When you are at that stage of your career, there's baggage there's a weight of expectation,” Shastri said, urging Babar to show intent early rather than taking time to settle.
What happened in PAK vs NED?
Pakistan’s chase against the Netherlands turned far tighter than it had any right to be. With 50 needed from 53 balls and seven wickets in hand, the game was set up for a smooth finish. Instead, Babar’s slow tempo dragged the contest into uncomfortable territory.
Even on commentary, Wasim Akram warned that Babar needed to speed up or risk pushing Pakistan into a corner. When he fell for 15 off 18, Pakistan suddenly found themselves needing 29 runs from the final two overs. A late burst from Faheem Ashraf eventually got them home, but the chase left behind more questions than comfort.
How can Pakistan handle the Babar problem?
The issue for Pakistan is not just form, but fit. Babar’s recent numbers underline the concern. Even before his disappointing show against the Dutch, he scored 282 runs in his last 10 T20I matches at an average of 28.2, with only three 50-plus scores. More importantly, his style does not naturally match the explosive demands of a No.4 role.
Pakistan’s top order is already functioning well, with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan providing strong starts, while Salman Agha has owned the No.3 position with 309 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 167.02. That leaves Babar stuck in the middle overs, where tempo is everything.
Ponting believes a positional shift could be Pakistan’s best option rather than persisting with him at No.4.
“I would even think about batting him at No.3,” Ponting said. “The earlier he goes in, inside the Powerplay with the field up, I think that's going to help him if he has just lost that little bit of power, then you need everything in your favour.”
Shastri, meanwhile, feels Babar needs to play with more freedom and urgency instead of caution.
“In your first five balls, I don't care if you get out, but I want you to make an effort to hit a couple of boundaries,” Shastri said, stressing how crucial the middle overs are in T20 cricket.
If Pakistan decide the current setup simply cannot work, the other option is a tough one: leaving Babar out and bringing in more firepower. Fakhar Zaman, sitting on the bench, offers exactly that. In 22 T20Is at No.4, Fakhar has scored 501 runs at a strike rate of 150.45, with three fifties and a top score of 78. Khawaja Nafay is another batter who could add depth.
For Pakistan, the decision is looming. They still need Babar’s class in this tournament, but as Ponting and Shastri have made clear, modern T20 cricket does not allow passengers through the middle.
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Cricket legends Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri have dug into one of Pakistan’s biggest early headaches at the T20 World Cup 2026: what exactly is going on with Babar Azam. The former captain has carried his shaky T20I form into the tournament, and his struggles in the middle order are now starting to feel like a genuine problem for Pakistan’s balance.
Babar’s latest sluggish outing came in Pakistan’s nervy win over the Netherlands, where he scored 15 off 18 balls in a chase that should have been comfortably wrapped up. On The ICC Review, Ponting did not hold back on the pressure that kind of innings creates in modern T20 cricket.
“If you're 15 off 18 balls, you're not just putting pressure on yourself, you're putting pressure on the guy at the other end,” Ponting said. “Babar needs to hit boundaries early on otherwise the whole momentum of the game is going to change every time he goes in.”
Shastri, meanwhile, framed it as a battle of expectation and urgency, especially for senior batters in high-stakes events. “When you are at that stage of your career, there's baggage there's a weight of expectation,” Shastri said, urging Babar to show intent early rather than taking time to settle.
What happened in PAK vs NED?
Pakistan’s chase against the Netherlands turned far tighter than it had any right to be. With 50 needed from 53 balls and seven wickets in hand, the game was set up for a smooth finish. Instead, Babar’s slow tempo dragged the contest into uncomfortable territory.
Even on commentary, Wasim Akram warned that Babar needed to speed up or risk pushing Pakistan into a corner. When he fell for 15 off 18, Pakistan suddenly found themselves needing 29 runs from the final two overs. A late burst from Faheem Ashraf eventually got them home, but the chase left behind more questions than comfort.
How can Pakistan handle the Babar problem?
The issue for Pakistan is not just form, but fit. Babar’s recent numbers underline the concern. Even before his disappointing show against the Dutch, he scored 282 runs in his last 10 T20I matches at an average of 28.2, with only three 50-plus scores. More importantly, his style does not naturally match the explosive demands of a No.4 role.
Pakistan’s top order is already functioning well, with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan providing strong starts, while Salman Agha has owned the No.3 position with 309 runs in 10 innings at a strike rate of 167.02. That leaves Babar stuck in the middle overs, where tempo is everything.
Ponting believes a positional shift could be Pakistan’s best option rather than persisting with him at No.4.
“I would even think about batting him at No.3,” Ponting said. “The earlier he goes in, inside the Powerplay with the field up, I think that's going to help him if he has just lost that little bit of power, then you need everything in your favour.”
Shastri, meanwhile, feels Babar needs to play with more freedom and urgency instead of caution.
“In your first five balls, I don't care if you get out, but I want you to make an effort to hit a couple of boundaries,” Shastri said, stressing how crucial the middle overs are in T20 cricket.
If Pakistan decide the current setup simply cannot work, the other option is a tough one: leaving Babar out and bringing in more firepower. Fakhar Zaman, sitting on the bench, offers exactly that. In 22 T20Is at No.4, Fakhar has scored 501 runs at a strike rate of 150.45, with three fifties and a top score of 78. Khawaja Nafay is another batter who could add depth.
For Pakistan, the decision is looming. They still need Babar’s class in this tournament, but as Ponting and Shastri have made clear, modern T20 cricket does not allow passengers through the middle.
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