Pakistan opened their T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a narrow three-wicket win over the Netherlands in Colombo, but the victory failed to hide a major concern. Babar Azam once again struggled to make an impact, raising fresh questions about his form at the biggest stage.
Pakistan start T20 World Cup 2026 with a win, but Babar Azam remains a concern
Chasing a modest target of 148, the Men in Blue were expected to cruise easily, but Babar’s slow innings added pressure instead against the Netherlands. The senior batter managed only 15 runs from 18 balls and looked out of rhythm throughout his stay at the crease.
The former Pakistan captain was eventually dismissed while attempting a big shot against Roelof van der Merwe, leaving Pakistan in a tough spot during the chase. However, the Men in Green chased down the target in the final over with three wickets in their hand.
Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha bring aggression up front
On the other hand, the intent shown by young opener Saim Ayub and skipper Salman Ali Agha left everyone impressed. Saim played fearless cricket and scored 24 runs from just 14 balls, though the No. 3 batter, Agha, perished for just 12 off 8 balls.
Their attacking approach pushed the scoring rate up but also carried risk, making stability in the middle order even more important going forward in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. That is where Babar’s role becomes crucial for Pakistan, felt Imad Wasim.
Imad Wasim backs Babar’s role on slow Colombo pitches
The former Pakistan all-rounder pointed out that the scoring is not easy; totals around 140 to 150 are often competitive on slow pitches like Colombo. In such conditions, Imad believes that Pakistan can rely on Babar to hold one end, absorb pressure, and guide the chase calmly if early wickets fall.
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Imad Wasim said on the Dug Out show, “I think Babar can control the game, as Saim and Agha are playing high-risk cricket, and if early wickets fall, Babar can control the game. In Colombo and Sri Lanka, I don’t think there will be many runs, unless it’s a night game or a duo. So, 140-150 runs were ok. I think Babar is an ideal player to chase. Today he failed, but usually he is an ideal player to chase 145-150.”
Even Imad Wasim is making sense😭😭pic.twitter.com/yBiyAftue9
— Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) February 8, 2026
His failure in the T20 World Cup 2026 opening match has put Babar under pressure, and he needs to rediscover his form quickly, as Pakistan has some tough games ahead, especially against India.
However, Babar had shown intent with an unbeaten 50 off 36 balls against Australia in the final T20I of the home series, but his BBL 2025-26 numbers were disappointing. Babar scored 202 runs for the Sydney Sixers in 11 innings at a strike rate of just 103.06 and an average of 22.44.
Hitting sixes isn’t Babar’s strength: Mohammad Kaif
Meanwhile, former India batter Mohammad Kaif bluntly said that hitting big sixes is not Babar’s natural game and trying to play that way often puts him in trouble, and that happened against the Netherlands.
Kaif said on-air in Hindi commentary, “Hitting sixes isn’t his strength. You said he would hit a six. Yes, he tried, but look what happened—he got out. His style isn’t hitting sixes; it’s taking singles and doubles and trying to win matches that way.”
