Ahead of Pakistan’s first Super 8 match in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson clearly stated, “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 is all set to face New Zealand on February 21 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo for their first match for the Super 8 phase. During the pre-match press conference, the head coach of Pakistan clarified Babar Azam’s role in the current setup.
Pakistan was in a must win situation
Cricket fans were amazed when the Pakistan team management did not send Azam during their do-or-die group stage match with Namibia. After being defeated by Team India, Pakistan was on the verge of elimination. A win against Namibia was crucial for their survival in the tournament. Pakistan eventually outclassed Namibia, supported by a brilliant century by their opener, Sahibzada Farhan.
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The victory was not enough to distinguish multiple 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 remain on the bench when some other batters got their chances to contribute with the bat?
“I think Babar is well aware that his strike rate in the power play in the World Cup is less than 100, and that’s clearly not the role we think we need,” Mike Hesson told the reporters after a washed-out practice season in Colombo.
Question over Babar Azam’s role in the team
Defending their tactics, which earned them the much-needed win, the coach explained that Babar Azam is well aware of his limitations in the format. For the finishing role, when the team needed some extra runs with a quick pace, there were other batters in the team. Hesson stated that Babar has a certain set of skills, but he was not the ideal one for swashbuckling batting.
“The other day, we got to the 12th-over mark, and at that point, Babar Azam is not the best person to come in. We’ve got plenty of other options who can come in and perform that [finishing] role towards the end. And Babar’s actually the first to acknowledge that, you know, he knows that he’s got a certain set of skills that the team requires, and there are certain times where other players can perform a role more efficiently,” Hesson added.
Mike Hesson provided clarification on the batter’s role
Before concluding the topic, the head coach of Pakistan clarified that the star batter is aware of his role. The team picks him in the T20I squad mostly for the crisis moments. If the team needs stability in the middle, then they can call Babar for the job.
“We think he’s a fine player through the middle. If we’re in a little bit of trouble or, as we saw against the USA, once he gets himself set, he can increase his strike rate. We got Babar back in for a specific role post the Asia Cup; we wanted some batsmanship through the middle, and he certainly brings that for us,” the coach said.
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