Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s form has become a major talking point. Despite an underwhelming outing in the recently concluded Big Bash League, the team management backed the experienced batter by including him in the T20 World Cup squad. However, concerns resurfaced in the opening match against the Netherlands, where Babar struggled to accelerate and scored just 15 off 18 balls, putting pressure on the team and reigniting debates over his place in the shortest format.
Beyond recent performances, Babar’s T20I numbers, particularly in World Cups, have long raised questions. In T20 World Cup history, the 31-year-old holds the unwanted record for the lowest strike rate among batters with at least 500 runs in the tournament. Across 18 matches, he has accumulated 564 runs at a strike rate of just 110.37, a figure widely viewed as alarming for a top-order batter in modern T20 cricket.
Lowest strike rate in T20 World Cup history, with minimum of 500 runs:
| Player | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate |
| Babar Azam | 18 | 564 | 110.37 |
| Mohammad Hafeez | 30 | 511 | 111.81 |
| Kumar Sangakkara | 31 | 661 | 112.22 |
| Kane Williamson | 29 | 727 | 112.53 |
| Mohammad Rizwan | 17 | 566 | 112.97 |
Can Pakistan afford to drop Babar?
Ahead of Pakistan’s opening game against the Netherlands, captain Salman Agha noted that none of the players have a guaranteed place in the playing XI. He talked the talk as senior batter Fakhar Zaman was dropped from the playing XI in the opening game. His absence was heavily felt as Pakistan managed a narrow three-wicket win over the Netherlands. At one point, it seemed that the game was slowly slipping away from their hands.
At this point, Babar’s place is deservedly under scrutiny as he is not adding much value to the team, particularly at that strike rate. Fakhar, who is waiting in the wings, could very well replace him for the USA game. However, it needs to be seen if Pakistan can actually dare to drop, given the superstar status Babar enjoys.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) are reportedly in talks with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over finding a possible solution for the match against India on February 15. Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) president Aminul Islam Bulbul is in Pakistan too for the meeting.