Pakistan batsman Babar Azam during T20 World Cup match against Netherlands. (IANS photo) NEW DELHI: Babar Azam’s shaky start to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 has sparked a rare and heated debate, with two of the game’s most respected voices – Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri – openly questioning Pakistan’s use of and pressure around their top-class batter.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.SIGN UP NOW! Pakistan opened their campaign with a three-wicket win over the Netherlands, but Babar’s 15 off 18 balls at No.4 stood out in an otherwise successful result. While the former captain showed flashes of form with an unbeaten half-century against Australia in the T20I final ahead of the World Cup, Ponting believes something fundamental has sunk.
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“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 in The ICC Review. “Babar has to hit boundaries early. He has to get out and go…otherwise the whole dynamic of the game changes every time he comes in.”Ponting went further, suggesting that Babar may have lost some of his signature power through the middle overs. “To me it looks like he’s lost a little bit of his power, his ability to hit the ball,” he said, pointing to a failed spin attempt as a worrying sign. Ponting defended Babar’s value as a big-match player, but was clear: “Pakistan need the best version of Babar Azam if they want to go further in this tournament.”
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Shastri echoed those concerns, but framed them around expectations and reputation. “When you’re at this stage in your career, there’s baggage,” Shastri said. “There’s a weight of expectation. People expect you to go out there and deliver.” He urged a more fearless approach even at the cost of early release. “In the first five balls… try to hit a few boundaries. You’ll feel a lot better and things can change.”Both experts also questioned Babar’s current role. Ponting floated the idea of pushing him back to No. 3. “The sooner he goes in… with just two players in the field would help him,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s power forwards could then dominate later on.But the most dramatic note came when the selection itself increased. “They have a big decision whether he stays or whether they let him go,” Ponting said, while Shastri warned: “Questions will be asked.”When Pakistan take on the USA in Colombo on February 10, Babar finds himself at a crucial moment.
