The pressure on Babar Azam has reached a boiling point. In the second T20I against Australia in Lahore on January 31, 2026, the former captain was dismissed for a paltry 2 runs by Adam Zampa, a result that has sent shockwaves through the cricketing world and triggered a fresh wave of criticism on social media [[1]]. This latest failure isn’t just another low score; it’s a symptom of a deeper crisis in his T20I game that threatens his place in Pakistan’s most important squad of the year.
Getting out for 2 is bad. Getting out for 2 to Adam Zampa in a high-stakes game against Australia is a different story altogether. The dismissal wasn’t just a moment of poor shot selection; it felt emblematic of a player who is struggling to find his rhythm in the T20 format. The narrative that he’s “too slow” for the modern power-hitting game has been a persistent one, and performances like this only fuel the fire [[5]].
Fans and pundits alike are now openly questioning whether a player of his stature should be opening the innings in T20Is if he can’t provide the explosive start the team desperately needs. The frustration is palpable, especially when compared to the dynamic starts provided by players like Saim Ayub in the same series [[7]].
While one bad innings doesn’t define a career, a look at his recent record tells a concerning story. His last five T20I scores include a 0 and a 1, alongside his recent 24 against Australia in the first T20I of this series [[10]]. His overall T20I stats are still impressive—he’s scored over 3900 runs—but his strike rate, hovering around 128, is often seen as a liability in the powerplay overs where teams now demand a rate of 140+ [[12]].
His struggles against quality spin, particularly from wristspinners like Zampa, have become a well-documented weakness. In an era where T20 batting is all about clearing the boundary from ball one, Babar’s classical, anchor-style approach can sometimes feel like it belongs to a different generation of the game.
This is the multi-million dollar question. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 is just around the corner, and Pakistan has already announced its 15-member squad, which includes Babar Azam as a key member [[18], [19]]. On paper, his inclusion seems non-negotiable given his experience and past success.
However, form is a ruthless selector. The PCB has shown a willingness to make bold calls before, and if his slump continues, they might be forced to reconsider. The emergence of aggressive young openers presents a genuine selection headache. Can the management afford to carry a player who might tie down the scoring rate at the top, even if his name is Babar Azam? The answer to this will define Pakistan’s World Cup campaign.
Australia’s attack, led by the crafty Adam Zampa, is arguably the best in the world at exploiting technical flaws in a batter’s game. Zampa’s variations in pace and flight are a nightmare for batters who rely on timing rather than brute force. Babar’s dismissal for 2 was a classic case of being caught on the back foot, unsure of the length, and playing a tentative shot that offered a simple catch [[5]].
It’s not just Zampa, though. The entire Australian setup is designed to pressure the opposition from the first over. Their field placements, their relentless accuracy, and their aggressive mindset create an environment where any hesitation is punished. For a player already battling a crisis of confidence, it’s the perfect storm.
Great players are often defined not by their peaks, but by how they respond to their valleys. Babar Azam is undoubtedly a great player, but his T20I valley is looking deep and dark. The clock is ticking towards the T20 World Cup 2026, and he needs a big score—a really big score—to silence his critics and prove his worth to the team management. The talent is there; the question is whether he can adapt his game to meet the brutal demands of the modern T20 arena. All of Pakistan will be watching, hoping their star can find his spark before it’s too late.
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