Ponting, Shastri raise concerns over Babar Azam’s dipping form in Pakistan’s T20 World Cup campaign

Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has come under scrutiny after a slow start to his ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, with cricketing greats Ricky Ponting and Ravi Shastri weighing in on his recent dip in form.

Babar endured a tough outing in Pakistan’s tournament opener against the Netherlands, managing a scratchy 15 off 18 deliveries in a match Pakistan eventually won by three wickets. The innings came shortly after his unbeaten half-century against Australia in the final pre-World Cup T20I, but concerns remain over his rhythm and impact in the shortest format.

ICC Hall of Famer Ricky Ponting believes Babar is no longer displaying the trademark fluency and timing that once defined his T20 batting. Speaking on The ICC Review with host Sanjana Ganesan, Ponting suggested the right-hander’s slow starts are placing additional pressure on the rest of the batting lineup.

“If you’re 15 off 18 balls, you’re not just putting pressure on yourself, you’re putting pressure on the guy at the other end,” Ponting said. “That batter then knows he has to take on the responsibility of boundary scoring. Babar needs to get going early.”

Ponting also questioned whether Babar is currently playing the right role in Pakistan’s batting order, particularly after he batted at No.4 against the Netherlands. According to the former Australia captain, a shift back to Babar’s preferred No.3 position could allow him to make better use of the Powerplay and ease the burden of accelerating later in the innings.

“To me, it looks like he’s lost a bit of his power and ball-striking ability,” Ponting added. “Pakistan need the best version of Babar Azam if they want to go deep in this competition.”

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri echoed similar concerns, pointing to the mental and reputational pressure that comes with being a high-profile player at this stage of his career.

“When you’re at that stage of your career, there’s baggage. There’s a weight of expectation,” Shastri said. “I don’t even mind if you get out early, but you have to show intent. Try to hit a couple of boundaries, that can change things quickly.”

Shastri also stressed the importance of adaptability in modern T20 cricket, noting that the middle overs remain a decisive phase where batters cannot afford prolonged periods of low scoring unless conditions heavily favor the bowlers.

Despite the criticism, both Ponting and Shastri acknowledged Babar’s quality and experience, backing him to respond if he can quickly adjust his approach.

Pakistan will have a chance to regain momentum when they face the USA in Colombo on February 10, with Babar’s form likely to remain a major talking point as the tournament progresses.