Sahibzada Farhan Babar Azam Mohsin Naqvi. Image Credits: X
Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, and Shaheen Afridi are among the Pakistan players set to face the brunt after India loss. After a disastrous outing against India, the Pakistan cricket team have decided to drop several stars for the upcoming Namibia clash, while retaining one key player.
The T20 World Cup 2026 is in full swing and is slowly advancing towards the Super 8 stage, with almost all teams having sealed their spots for the next round of the tournament.
However, Group A is still open, with Pakistan, the United States and the Netherlands in contention for the second spot and a place in the Super 8 stage. To secure qualification, Pakistan will be eager to fight their way through, as they are currently in third position on the points table with one game left.
The Disappointing Current Form Of Pakistan That Calls For A Change
Against Namibia, Pakistan can directly qualify for the Super 8 if they win. However, ahead of the clash, reports came swirling about Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan being dropped, while Babar Azam is said to be retained in the playing XI despite rumours that he would be benched.
For the unaware, Pakistan’s top order collapsed like a house of cards against India’s bowling attack, led by Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. While chasing India’s total of 176, Pakistan’s star opener Sahibzada Farhan, who came into the limelight for hitting multiple sixes off Jasprit Bumrah in the Asia Cup, was dismissed for a duck.
Saim Ayub, who opened with Sahibzada Farhan, also disappointed, scoring just six runs. Babar Azam, who was given the responsibility of anchoring the innings, also walked back to the pavilion after being bowled by Axar Patel for just five runs.
Following the top-order collapse, several reports emerged that the underperforming star players could soon be replaced, with some even suggesting Shaheen Afridi’s removal after he took only one wicket and conceded 31 runs in just two overs.
Babar Azam Retained, Sahibzada Farhan, Abrar Ahmed Out
In a Pakistani talk show on ARY News, Shahid Hashmi, a popular Pakistani journalist, shared that Babar Azam is still likely to make the cut. According to Shahid Hashmi, Babar Azam is set to open the innings with Saim Ayub, as Sahibzada Farhan is expected to be replaced by veteran Fakhar Zaman.
Young sensation Khawaja Nafay is set to replace Faheem Ashraf, while Salman Mirza or Naseem Shah could replace Abrar Ahmed, who went wicketless and conceded 38 runs in his three overs.
During the debate show, Shahid was questioned about the availability of Fakhar Zaman, as he did not train in the nets ahead of match day. Still, there is a strong possibility that Babar Azam will be retained in the playing XI and open with Saim Ayub for the Namibia clash on February 18.
How Impactful Will Be The Remodelled Playing XI?
The revamp could see Pakistan undergo a complete makeover in both the top and middle order. A bowling change involving Salman Mirza or Naseem Shah replacing Abrar could also be a sensible move.
Fakhar Zaman, if included in the playing XI, has been in below-par form with the bat. In the Australia series, he managed only 20 runs from two appearances, while in the Sri Lanka series, he was dismissed for just five runs. However, his ILT20 form was solid, with a strike rate of 124.40 and 260 runs from 12 appearances.
Khawaja Nafay’s performances in the Australia and Sri Lanka series were moderate too, scoring 21 and 26 runs respectively in the single matches he played.
Naseem Shah has also been an average performer in recent times, while Salman Mirza has been effective with the ball in the T20 World Cup 2026, taking three wickets at an economy rate of 6.26 against the Netherlands.
In the Sri Lanka series, he also claimed three wickets for just 18 runs in his only appearance in the first T20I. Nevertheless, if the playing XI is revamped according to Shahid Hashmi, it will look somewhat like this.
Pakistan’s Probable Playing XI- Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, Khawaja Nafay, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Usman Tariq
