T20 World Cup 2026: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam's strike rate in white-ball Cricket has been the bone of contention for Cricket fans and experts alike. The 31-year-old batter, who is also the highest run-scorer in T20Is, has been placed to bat at the number four position, as per the directives by the team management under head coach Mike Hesson. Former Pakistan captain Mohammed Hafeez has slammed Hesson for his stance, stating that he didn't understand the logic behind the stance.
Up until a few years back, Babar excelled as an opener in T20I matches, scoring consistently for Pakistan. However, following numerous struggles in this position, particularly with his inability to maintain an impactful strike rate at the top of the order, he has now been delegated to the No. 4 spot under captain Salman Agha in the current ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
“He made a statement on Babar Azam that I didn’t understand," Hafeez said on the show Game On Hai.
“He said neither he’s a powerplay batter because his strike rate is 100… I read this statement 15 times, but I didn’t understand, which is why I am asking you, because you are like an elder brother, maybe you’ll understand. He said that Babar can’t bat in the first six overs, because his strike-rate is quite low; he gave that stat, nor could he bat after the 10th over. Toh vo khel kyu raha hai? (Why is he playing?) he added.
During the group stage, Babar scored 15 runs off 18 balls against the Netherlands, made 46 runs off 32 balls against the USA, and hit 5 runs off 7 balls against India, leading to discussions about his performance and his place in the batting lineup. In the game against Namibia, he did not even come to bat.
“I think he’s well aware that his strike rate in the powerplay in (T20) World Cups is less than 100. So clearly, that’s not a role that we think here we need. We think he’s a fine player through the middle, if required, in terms of 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 at that point. So, we brought 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," Hesson said.
Pakistan's first Super Eight game against New Zealand ended in a no-result as both teams ended with 1 point each.