Babar Azam’s return to the T20 World Cup stage has sparked a massive debate following his sluggish 15 off 18 balls in Pakistan’s nervous opening win against the Netherlands on February 7. While Pakistan narrowly avoided a historic upset thanks to Faheem Ashraf’s explosive late-order hitting, Babar’s inability to rotate strike or find boundaries at No. 4 has left fans and experts questioning his fit in the modern T20 setup. As Pakistan prepares for their crucial second match against the USA on February 10, the pressure on Babar has reached a boiling point, with Shastri offering a blunt ‘intent-first’ roadmap to help the superstar rediscover his rhythm before the tournament progresses.
Ravi Shastri delivers direct challenge to Babar Azam ahead of PAK vs USA match in T20 World Cup 2026
Ravi Shastri believes Babar is currently fighting an internal battle against his own reputation rather than the bowlers. Speaking on The ICC Review, Shastri analyzed Babar’s current slump as a byproduct of his seniority, stating: “When you are at that stage of your career, there’s baggage. There’s a weight of expectation. People expect you to go out there and deliver.”
To counter this, Shastri’s advice was direct and almost reckless: “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.” By encouraging Babar to potentially sacrifice his wicket in search of early aggression, Shastri hopes the batter can ‘break the mental shackles’ that have led to his recent ‘turtle-paced’ strike rates.
T20 World Cup 2026: Shastri’s warning to Babar regarding time
Beyond the mental aspect, Shastri emphasized that the modern T20 game, specifically the middle-over phase where Babar now operates, simply does not allow for a ‘settling in’ period. He warned that while Babar has the class to recover, time is a luxury Pakistan cannot afford: “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.”
Shastri pointed out that in a tournament of this magnitude, any drop in momentum during the 7-15 over block can be fatal, adding: “In T20 cricket, you can’t give it that much time unless the conditions are really in favor of the bowlers.” With critics already suggesting his spot is under threat, Shastri concluded with a stark reality check for the former captain: “There will be questions asked.” The upcoming clash against the USA in Colombo is now widely seen as a make or break moment for Babar to prove he can still match the scoring rates of the world’s elite.
