Cricket legends Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri delved into one of Pakistan’s biggest early headaches at the 2026 T20 World Cup: what exactly is going on with Babar Azam. The former captain has carried his shaky T20I form into the tournament and his middle-order struggles are now starting to feel like a real problem for Pakistan’s balance.
Babar’s last slow trip came in Pakistan’s nervy win over the Netherlands, where he scored 15 off 18 balls in a chase that should have been wrapped up comfortably. In The ICC Review, Ponting did not sustain the pressure that the kind of innings creates in modern T20 cricket.
“If you have 15 off 18 balls, you don’t just put pressure on yourself, you put pressure on the guy at the other end,” Ponting said. “Babar needs to hit boundaries early or the whole dynamic of the game will change every time he steps in.
Shastri, meanwhile, framed it as a battle of expectations and urgency, especially for senior batsmen at high-stakes events. “When you’re at this stage of your career, there’s a lot of 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 was much tighter than it had any right to be. With 50 needed from 53 balls and seven wickets in hand, the game was set for a smooth finish. Instead, Babar’s slow pace dragged the match into uncomfortable territory.
Wasim Akram warned in the commentary as well Babar needed to step up or risk pushing Pakistan into a corner. Falling to 15 off 18, Pakistan suddenly found themselves needing 29 runs from the last two overs. A late burst from Faheem Ashraf finally got them home, but the chase left more questions than consolations.
How can Pakistan handle the Babar issue?
Pakistan’s problem is not just form but fitness. Babar’s recent numbers underline the concerns. Even before his disappointing show against the Dutch, he had scored 282 runs at an average of 28.2 in his last 10 T20Is, with only three scores above 50. More importantly, his style doesn’t naturally fit the explosive demands of the No. 4 role.
Pakistan’s top order is already performing well, with Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan providing strong starts, while Salman Agha owned the No.3 position with 309 runs in 10 innings at 167.02. This leaves Babar stranded in the middle overs where pace is everything.
Ponting believes a positional shift could be the best option for Pakistan rather than sticking with him at No.4.
“I would even consider batting him at No. 3,” Ponting said. “The sooner he comes on, in the Powerplay with the field up, I think that will help him, if he’s just lost that little bit of power, then you need everything in your favor.”
Shastri, meanwhile, feels that Babar needs to play with more freedom and urgency instead of caution.
“In the first five balls, I don’t care if you get out, but I want you to try to hit a few boundaries,” Shastri said, stressing the importance of the middle overs in T20 cricket.
If Pakistan decides that the current setup just can’t work, the other option is tough: drop Babar and bring in more firepower. That’s exactly what Fakhar Zaman offers sitting on the bench. 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 batsman who could add depth.
In the case of Pakistan, a decision is looming. They still need Babar’s class in this tournament, but as Ponting and Shastri made clear, modern T20 cricket does not allow travelers to go through the middle.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
February 9, 2026
