Babar Azam Deemed Unfit For T20Is, Mike Hesson Asked To Convey Honest Truth

Babar Azam and Mike Hesson [Source: AFP, X]

Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has urged Mike Hesson to initiate an honest conversation with Babar Azam amid the latter's poor form in the T20 World Cup. Under Salman Ali Agha's leadership, Pakistan have been impressive in the tournament, winning three out of four games. 

However, Babar Azam has yet to get going in the competition, managing 66 runs across three outings. In fact, head coach Mike Hesson hesitated from sending him to the middle, promoting Shadab Khan to capitalise on the start against Namibia.

Faf du Plessis thinks Babar Azam's strike rate is not ideal for T20Is

South Africa's legendary batter and ex-captain Faf du Plessis believes Babar Azam is far behind from his contemporaries as far as his strike rate in T20I is concerned. 

While Mike Hesson's decision to promote Shadab over Babar raised a million eyeballs, Du Plessis offered a logical explanation, highlighting how the latter has failed to evolve to meet the demands of the game. 

"We know Babar as one of the world's best players for a very long time. I think the game of T20 cricket has moved so fast forward into strike rates that he's found himself a little bit behind in terms of strike rates. The game has moved too far forward to be at 120-130. Now, you need to be 160 to 190 to 200-plus for you to maximise that first six," Du Plessis was quoted as saying by Geo Super. 

Du Plessis urges Mike Hesson to have an honest conversation with Babar Azam

As Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson continues to grab the headlines over a possible cold war with Babar Azam, Faf du Plessis advises the former New Zealand coach to have a one-to-one conversation with the struggling batter.

Also read: PSL 2026 Format Leaked; Mohsin Naqvi Separates Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi

Du Plessis believes clear communication can solve the puzzling situation, as it's the only way Hesson can let Babar know his exact role in Pakistan's T20 World Cup team. 

The former South African cricketer reckons that Hesson must initiate a dialogue with Babar and give a statistical backdrop to explain his struggles in the shortest format. This move, as the ex-RCB captain explains, can help Pakistan avoid a potential dressing room chaos amid the T20 World Cup. 

"It starts with honesty. For a coach, it's like, 'listen, these are the numbers. The numbers are suggesting this. This is where the game is at the moment. In order for us to be successful as a team at this World Cup or this tournament, these are the areas that we want to be the best in. Or the areas where we feel we're perhaps a little bit weak so we have to address that," Du Plessis added. 

"Once the stats are in front of a player, it's pretty difficult to go 'I'm not agreeing with you.' Then as a player, you've got two choices. Either you put up a massive fight and you throw your toys or you go, 'Okay, I need to get better, I need to improve and this is an area in my game that I can improve," the talismanic South African concluded. 

Babar Azam in focus as Pakistan get ready to face England

For the unversed, Pakistan have conveniently ignored Babar Azam whenever they have got solid starts with the bat. The right-hander, who has mostly played at the top-order, has been pushed down to number four, with the Men in Green emphasising the optimal usage of the powerplay field restrictions. 

So, Babar will once again be in the limelight when Pakistan face England in their second Super 8 fixture of the T20 World Cup. The Salman Ali Agha-led side has yet to win a game in the second round, with their first match getting washed out due to inclement weather conditions in Colombo. 

Also read: ICC Confirms India Vs Pakistan Match Date In Latest T20 World Cup Announcement