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3 min readFeb 9, 2026 12:47 PM IST
Netherlands' Roelof van der Merwe celebrates the wicket of Pakistan's Babar Azam, left, during the T20 World Cup cricket match between Netherlands and Pakistan in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
There has been plenty of talk about Pakistan cricket talisman Babar Azam’s spot in the team after he could only manage a sedate 18-ball 15-run innings in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup opener against the Netherlands where Pakistan won with three balls to spare and with just three wickets in hand.
Former India cricketer and national team coach Ravi Shastri says that Babar is fighting the weight of expectations that come along with being at the “stage of his career” that Babar is in.
“When you are at that stage of your career, there’s baggage,” said Shastri in a conversation with Ricky Ponting and Sanjana Ganesan on the latest episode of The ICC Review. “There’s a weight of expectation. People expect you to go out there and deliver. Get out there (and) in your first five balls, I don’t care if you get out, but I want you to make an effort to hit a couple of boundaries. Choose your spot, get into good positions, anticipate what the bowler is doing. You will feel a lot better and things might change.”
Before the T20 World Cup, Babar scored 202 runs for the Sydney Sixers in 11 innings at a strike rate of just 103.06 and average of 22.44. (AP Photo)
Just like the rest of the world has been asking whether the former Pakistan captain deserves a spot in the XI for Pakistan’s next T20 World Cup fixture against the USA in Colombo on February 11, Shastri said: “There will be questions asked.”
Shastri continued: “He’s a quality player … we know he’s got the experience to adjust very quickly, but he has to do it quickly because (the middle overs are) a very crucial period of play. In T20 cricket, you can’t give it that much time unless the conditions are really in favor of the bowlers.”
Meanwhile, Shastri’s colleague on the show, Ricky Ponting, said that Babar had “lost a bit of power”.
“It just to me looks like he’s lost a bit of his power, his ball striking ability, like taking on that spinner on the way he did and not being able to even go close to clearing it,” Ponting said on the latest episode of The ICC Review.
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