Pakistan’s campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup has turned out to be a debacle, and at the centre of the storm is batter Babar Azam, who has struggled to find consistency in the shortest format during the tournament. In Pakistan’s recent Super 8 clash against England on Wednesday, Babar’s difficulties were once again evident. Coming in at No. 4, he managed 25 runs off 24 deliveries, striking two boundaries but failing to accelerate when needed.
The innings against England further dented Babar’s numbers in the tournament. His overall strike rate in this edition has slipped to 111.5, which is the lowest recorded by a batter in T20 World Cup history. Babar’s approach has been the topic of discussion because that is totally out of sync with the demands of T20 cricket.
Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson had recently admitted that Babar’s strike rate does not ideally suit the powerplay phase. Amid the criticism, former England cricketer Michael Vaughan praised Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson for managing Babar’s role nicely within the team structure.
"I admire overseas coaches that go and coach in Pakistan because I can only imagine what’s going on," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.
"But Babar Azam himself, I think Mike Hesson has dealt with it brilliantly because he clearly has to play Babar Azam, and he’s using him as an insurance policy. You lose two wickets; he’s your insurance. He comes in at number four, and he can just play."
Vaughan further said that Sri Lankan pitches are well-suited for Babar's tempo.
"In Sri Lanka, I think he’s absolutely perfect for those wickets because Sri Lanka so far has been 150-180, and I think Babar’s in that range. I think he’ll get Pakistan to a 160-170 score," he said.
"But on a 200-day or a 210-day, Babar’s not going to get you there. I just don’t think he’s that kind of player anymore," he stated.