Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has downplayed the criticism of Babar Azam, who is currently facing intense criticism for his slow batting in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026.
Faf du Plessis supports Babar Azam amid heavy criticism
Babar Azam is struggling badly in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The former Pakistan captain has been able to score only 66 runs in five matches at an average of 22 and a strike rate of just 115.78. In modern T20 cricket, these numbers are not enough.
The game has changed as in the shorter format of the game teams now attack from the first over. The powerplay sees strike rates of 160, 170 and even 200, but Babar has not been able to maintain that pace. Actually, an unwanted record has now been registered in the name of the right-handed batsman.
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He has the lowest strike rate, just 86.17, among players who have faced more than 200 balls in the T20 World Cup Powerplay. Pakistan coach Mike Hesson has already pushed him to No. 4, as he is now being used as a supporting middle-order batsman rather than the main attacker.
Someone like Babar – we’ve known him as one of the best players in the world for a very long time – Faf du Plessis
Spin bowling has emerged as the biggest nightmare for Babar Azam. Many of his outings this year were against spinners. His scoring rate against spin is around 100. But Faf du Plessis believes the story is not over, saying every great player goes through a phase where they have to adjust.
The Proteas star pointed out that T20 cricket has progressed very fast, especially when it comes to strike rate, but he admitted that Babar is far behind others in terms of strike rate.
“Look, I think first of all, all great players develop at different times in their careers. Someone like Babar – we’ve known him as one of the best players in the world for a very long time. I think T20I cricket has progressed so much, especially in terms of strike rate, that he finds himself a bit behind in that area,” Faf du Plessis was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
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Faf du Plessis suggests smart role instead of big changes
He suggested the Pakistan think tank to find the right role for Babar Azam instead of forcing him to play as a power hitter. On slow and rotating pitches, Du Plessis feels Babar can still be very useful, as he can bowl dot balls short. He can rotate the strike.
But on flat wickets where teams chase scores of 200-plus, Pakistan need more firepower at the top, but they feel a 120-130 strike rate can still be useful.
Du Plessis said, “So, if you are someone like Mike Hesson, what he is trying to do is find the best way to reintroduce him into the game. So, he has found a role for him, especially on slow pitches. When you come to flat wickets, those kind of roles are not that important anymore.”
He signed off by saying, “So, I think at this venue, in these specific conditions where there’s going to be a lot of spin, having someone like him in the middle overs can be of great importance, making sure that he takes over the innings.”
