The Pakistan management is considering a major change ahead of the crucial match against England in the Super 8 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. According to RevSports, head coach Mike Hesson and the support staff are considering replacing former captain Babar Azam with Khawaja Nafee for this game.
Pakistan is in second place in the Super Eights with one point. They are scheduled to play England in the fifth match of the Super 8 stage at the Pallekele Stadium on Tuesday, February 24. The upcoming match is important for Pakistan, as they need a win to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the tournament.
Pakistan is considering leaving out Babar Azam to win the England match
There are serious doubts over Babar Azam’s place in the team ahead of the Super Eight match against England in Pallekele. According to RevSportz, Mike Hesson and the support staff are discussing whether to replace Babar Azam and bring in Khawaja Nafee.
No final decision was made on Monday, but the team was expected to take a call before the match. If Babar is dropped then it may be difficult for him to return to the team.
Babar was brought back into the T20 squad after the Asia Cup last September. However, the management struggled to find the right role for him during the tournament. He favored the 31-year-old for his experience and the slow Sri Lankan pitches but dropped him at No. 4 in the batting order.
That’s what we needed at that time – Mike Hesson on Babar Azam’s batting demotion
Pakistan has often been criticized for playing in the old style and this debate has become more intense after the heavy defeat against India. However, he showed signs of intent during the match against Namibia.
Pakistan scored 199/3, but Babar Azam did not bat as Khawaja Nafee was promoted to number 5. Mike Hesson said the decision was based on match conditions. He said that it would be wise to avoid having two right-handed batsmen bat together against left-arm spin.
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Hesson said at a press conference. “When the left-arm spin was taking shape and it was turning, Babar was the first to recognize it, sending out two right-handed batsmen was not a smart move. Nafe went out to take the game forward. That’s what we needed at that time. So no, definitely not an ideal change, more about the roles.”
Pakistan’s Super 8 opener against New Zealand canceled due to rain
Pakistan secured their place in the Super 8 stage after finishing second in Group A. Their first Super 8 match against New Zealand on Saturday, 21 February ended without a result due to persistent rain at the R Premadasa Stadium. Both the teams were forced to share one point each.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Aga won the toss and decided to bat first. The team made one change in the playing eleven with Fakhar Zaman replacing Khawaja Nafe in the middle order.
However, rain arrived soon after the toss and continued for a long time. The match officials eventually abandoned the game when conditions did not improve. Pakistan will now have to win both its remaining matches to remain in the race for the semi-finals.
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