Babar Azam Doesn’t Deserve A Place in Pakistan T20 Team – Virender Sehwag

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag believes Babar Azam‘s cautious batting style doesn’t suit the demands of modern T20 cricket. He argues that if Pakistan opts for a new captain, Babar Azam’s place in the squad itself becomes questionable.

Notably, Pakistan suffered a group stage exit in the T20 World Cup 2024. It is their second consecutive group stage exit in the ICC event after they faced the same fortune during the ODI World Cup 2023, held in India last year.

Here’s what Virender Sehwag told Cricbuzz:

“I may sound harsh, but if the captain changes, Babar Azam doesn’t deserve a place in the T20 team. His performances are not as per the demands of today’s T20 cricket.”

“He is not a player who will hit sixes. He only hits sixes when he is set and spinners are operating. I have never seen him using his feet to fast bowlers or hitting sixes over the covers; it’s not his game as he plays safe cricket by hitting on the ground. So, he consistently scores runs and his strike rate isn’t great.”

There’s no doubt that Babar Azam’s inability to accelerate the scoring rate, especially against pace bowling, left Pakistan vulnerable in crucial moments. In fact, in all the T20 World Cups he has participated in so far, he has failed to hit a single six in the powerplay.

Pakistan’s cricket board now faces a crucial decision. Will they back Babar Azam to turn things around, or will they consider a leadership change and potentially reshape the batting order? Only time will tell how Pakistan responds to the questions raised by their T20 World Cup showing.