It was another tough outing for Babar Azam and this time, the numbers have added to his troubles. During Pakistan’s Super Eights clash against England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, Babar Azam registered an unwanted record.
The former Pakistan captain scored 25 runs from 24 balls, hitting just two boundaries, before being bowled out by Jamie Overton. While the innings showed glimpses of control, it lacked the urgency expected in modern T20 cricket. With that knock, Babar Azam’s overall strike-rate in the T20 World Cup history dropped to 111.5, now the lowest ever in the tournament among players who have scored at least 500 runs.
In comparison, Mohammed Hafeez has a strike-rate of 111.8, Kumar Sangakkara 112.2, Kane Williamson 112.5 and Mohammad Rizwan 113.0. These numbers highlight how rare it is for top players to operate at such a rate in a format that increasingly demands aggressive batting.
In the ongoing 2026 tournament, Babar Azam has batted only four times in six matches, scoring 91 runs at an average of 22.75. Once an opener, he has been pushed down the order to No. 4 or 5 in an attempt to adjust the team combination.
Despite the criticism, Babar Azam remains one of the most experienced T20I players of Pakistan, with 4,571 runs in 135 innings. However, his overall T20I strike-rate of 128.18 has often been debated, especially as the format continues to evolve.
Former South Africa captain Faf du Plessis recently pointed out that the T20 game, especially during the powerplay, now demands much higher strike-rates. He suggested that while Babar has been a world-class player for years, the format has changed rapidly and batters are now expected to score at 160 or even close to 200 in the first six overs.
Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar also shared his view, saying that either Babar should reconsider his role in T20 cricket or be used strictly in the powerplay to maximize his strengths.
Should Babar Azam stop playing T20 cricket? What do you think?
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