ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting and renowned commentator Ravi Shastri have openly commented on the recent inconsistent performance of Pakistan star Babar Azam.
Babar Azam scored just 15 runs off 18 balls against the Netherlands in the opening match of the T20 World Cup 2026, which both former cricketers expressed their dismay over.
Ricky Ponting spoke at the ICC Review Program and said that if a batsman scores 15 runs in 18 balls, he not only puts pressure on himself but also increases the pressure on the batsman at the other end.
Ravi Shastri also spoke about the increasing pressure on Babar and said that the burden of expectations at this stage of a career affects a player. According to Shastri, Babar will be aggressive in the opening balls even if there is danger of getting out.
Ravi Shastri has warned that if Babar doesn’t straighten up soon, questions will mount on him as middle overs are important in T20 cricket and there is no room for wasting time.
Ponting also pointed to Babar’s batting at number four against the Netherlands as a reason for increased pressure and suggested that he be batted again at number three to take advantage of pitch restrictions in the powerplay.
He said that if Babar’s strength declines, the team will provide him with more suitable conditions, Pakistan will take a big decision whether Babar will remain in the team or not, because Pakistan needs the best version of Babar Azam to progress in the tournament.
It is worth mentioning that Pakistan will play their next match against the United States on February 10 in Colombo, after the meeting held yesterday between ICC Vice President Imran Khawaja, PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and BCB President Aminul Islam, the match against India on February 15 was asked, and the final match of the group stage will be played against Pakistan’s Nami81 team.
