Babar Azam, who was slotted at No.4 during Pakistan’s do-or-die clash against Namibia in the T20 World Cup, did not walk out to bat despite the fall of three wickets.
Pakistan needed to avoid losing to Namibia to qualify for the Super Eights of the competition. They won the toss at Colombo and opted to bat first, with Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub opening the innings. Ayub fell for a 12-ball 14, but Farhan and Salman Ali Agha steadied the innings, taking the team score to 107 in 12.1 overs. Agha then fell for 38 (23 balls).
Babar, who was expected to slot in after Agha, was left waiting in the wings, when Khawaja Nafay - who replaced Shaheen Afridi in the XI - batted at No.4. Nafay scored a run-a-ball five, before he was dismissed by Gerhard Erasmus in the 14th over. It was still not time for Babar, as Shadab Khan batted at No.5. Shadab made 36 in 22 deliveries, at a strike rate of 163.64, accompanying Farhan, who was unbeaten on 100 in 58 balls. Pakistan ended up making 199-3 in their 20 overs.
What’s ahead for Babar Azam?
Babar’s T20 fortunes have taken a hit of late - he was dropped from the team following the Champions Trophy ouster last year, missing several series, including the Asia Cup in September. The batter had a strike rate of 129.37 in T20Is between January 2022 and December 2024, with Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson saying he had to improve his T20 strike rate to make a comeback to the side. Babar returned to the Pakistan team in October, without playing a T20 since Hesson’s statement.
Hesson also suggested that the Big Bash League would be an opportunity for Babar to improve his T20 game. He made his debut in the league for Sydney Sixers, but did not have the greatest time, making 202 runs in 11 games, averaging 22 with a strike rate of 103.1. Of the 350 times a batter made 200 runs in a BBL season, this was the lowest strike rate in a season.
His season eventually ended a day before the Sixers’ must-win game against the Hobart Hurricanes, but not before making waves during the season, notably when he was denied an easy run by Steve Smith, so the latter could keep strike for the following over. Smith eventually made 32 runs in the over, a BBL record.
In the ongoing T20 World Cup, Babar has scored 66 runs in three innings, but at a strike rate of 115.78. His demotion against Namibia reflects a predicament for the Pakistan side: it suggests that they do not consider him as a viable middle-overs accelerator anymore, at least within the context of a format that is moving rapidly towards high-risk, high-reward batting. The decision to hold back Babar, even after two wickets fell in quick succession, underlined a shift in team thinking that would have been almost unthinkable two years ago, when he remained the undisputed centrepiece of Pakistan’s white-ball batting.
The presence of Fakhar Zaman in the squad further complicates the equation. Fakhar, historically one of Pakistan’s few naturally aggressive T20 batters, has oscillated in and out of the team. Persisting with a conservative approach with Babar in the side while simultaneously keeping a proven power-hitter has reflected a broader identity confusion within Pakistan’s T20 setup, one that continues to surface in high-pressure tournaments.
For Pakistan, the Namibia game offered a glimpse of an alternative blueprint, where Babar’s traditional accumulation role appears increasingly difficult to accommodate unless accompanied by a significant jump in scoring rate.
From a tournament perspective, Pakistan may still progress, but their campaign remains delicately balanced between experience and evolution. From a career perspective, however, the implications are sharper. Being bypassed in a must-win World Cup fixture signals that Babar is no longer guaranteed a place. However, keeping a player of his stature, where players’ ego matters for much, could be a predicament to address for Pakistan.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
