Babar Azam’return to t20 world cup A huge debate has erupted on the platform after his slow innings of 15 runs in 18 balls. Pakistan’s nervous opening win against Netherlands On February 7, while Pakistan narrowly escaped a historic upset Faheem Ashraf’Explosive late-order hitting, Babar’s inability to rotate the strike or hit boundaries at No. 4 has led fans and experts to question his fit in the modern T20 setup. As Pakistan prepares for its second important match usa On 10 February, as the pressure on Babar reached its peak, Shastri offered the superstar a clear ‘intention-first’ roadmap to help him rediscover his rhythm before the tournament progressed.
Ravi Shastri gives direct challenge to Babar Azam before PAK vs USA match in T20 World Cup 2026
Ravi Shastri He believes that Babar is currently fighting an internal battle against his own reputation rather than against the bowlers. Speaking on the ICC review, Shastri analyzed Babar’s current decline as a by-product of his seniority, saying: “When you’re at that stage of your career, there’s a burden. There’s a burden of expectations. People expect you to go out there and perform.”
To counter this, Shastri’s advice was straightforward and almost perfunctory: “Go out there and in your first five balls, I don’t care if you get out, but I want you to try to hit some fours. Pick your spots, get into good positions, anticipate what the bowler is doing. You will feel a lot better and things can change.” By encouraging Babar to potentially sacrifice his wicket in search of early aggression, Shastri hopes the batsman can ‘break the mental shackles’ that have led to his recent ‘tortoise pace’ strike rates.
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T20 World Cup 2026: Shastri’s warning to Babar regarding time
Beyond the mental aspect, Shastri stressed that the modern T20 game, especially the middle-overs phase where Babar now plays, simply does not allow a ‘settle in’ period. He warned that while Babar has the class to recover, time is a luxury Pakistan cannot afford: “He is a quality player. We know he has the experience to adjust very quickly, but he will have to do this quickly because the middle overs are a very important time of the game.
Shastri pointed out that in such a big tournament, any drop in pace during the 7-15 over block could be fatal, adding: “In T20 cricket you can’t give that much time unless the conditions are really in the bowlers’ favour.” With critics already suggesting his place is under threat, Shastri delivered a harsh reality check for the former captain, concluding: “There will be questions asked.” The upcoming clash against the United States in Colombo is now being seen as a make or break moment for Babar to prove that he can still match the scoring rates of the world’s top players.
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