Ahead of Pakistan’s first Super 8 match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson clearly said, “Babar Azam’s strike is not ideal for some specific situations in the format.” According to Hesson, Babar Azam’s strike rate is low.
Pakistan will travel to R.K., Colombo on 21 February for their first match of the Super 8 stage. All set to face New Zealand at the Premadasa Stadium. During the pre-match press conference, the Pakistan head coach clarified the role of Babar Azam in the current setup.
Pakistan was in a position to win
Cricket fans were surprised when the Pakistan team management did not send Azam during the do-or-die group stage match with Namibia. Pakistan was on the verge of extinction after the defeat against Team India. The win against Namibia was crucial for their survival in the tournament. Pakistan eventually defeated Namibia with the help of a brilliant century from their opener Sahibzada Farhan.
This win was not enough to dispel many doubts over Azam’s role in the team. He was in the playing eleven but did not come to bat in such an important match. Why did he sit on the bench when some other batsmen got a chance to contribute with the bat?
“I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is under 100, and that’s clearly not the role we feel we need,” Mike Hesson told reporters after a poor practice session in Colombo.
Question on Babar Azam’s role in the team
Defending his strategy, which gave them the much-needed win, the coach pointed out that Babar Azam is well aware of his limitations in the format. For the finishing role, when the team needed some extra runs at a fast pace, there were other batsmen in the team. Hesson said that Babar has certain skills, but he is not ideal for explosive batting.
“The other day, we reached the 12th over mark, and at that time, Babar Azam is not the best person to come in. We have a lot of other options who can come in and perform like that [finishing] Role towards the end. And Babar is the first one to really admit that, you know, he knows he has a certain set of skills that the team requires, and there are certain times where other players can play the role more efficiently,” Hesson said.
Mike Hesson clarified on the role of the batsman
Before concluding the topic, the Pakistan head coach made it clear that the star batsman is aware of his role. The team mostly picks him in the T20 squad for crunch moments. If the team needs stability in the middle then they can call Babar for this job.
The coach said, “We think he is a good player in the middle order. If we are in a bit of trouble or, as we saw against the United States, once he settles himself, he can increase his strike rate. We brought Babar back for a specific role after the Asia Cup; we wanted some batting in the middle order, and he certainly does that for us.”
read more: Is everything not well in the Pakistani camp? Salman Ali Aga clarified the situation before the Super 8 match against New Zealand
