Virat Kohli Babar Azam. Image Credits: X
Former Pakistan cricketer, Imad Wasim, lashed out at Babar Azam for his dismal knock against England during the Super 8 match of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Wasim called Babar ‘criminal’ for his sluggish 25 off 24 balls.
Pakistan lost by 2 wickets to England in what turned out to be a disastrous team performance from the men in green.
Defending 165 runs total, Shaheen Afridi got them the perfect start until Harry Brook took the game away for England with a stylish century off just 51 balls.
Imad Wasim unleashes wrath on Babar Azam
As Pakistan went down fighting against England at Pallekele, former cricketer Imad Wasim, who has recently been accused of murder and abandonment by his wife, shared his honest and blunt opinion on Pakistan’s batting performance.
He specifically targeted senior batter Babar Azam for his sluggish knock of 25 off 24 balls. On a local channel, Imad said Babar’s innings was criminal and that he lacks match-winning ability like Harry Brook.
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"How many games will you mess up like this? How many games? After playing 24 balls, if you get out...this is criminal. It is criminal, especially for such a senior player. "Babar came in during the fourth over. Babar didn't come in during the 11th over. So how many times? When will he win us a game of cricket? Like Harry Brook. When will he make an impact? In big World Cup matches, semi-finals, finals, quarter-finals, and important matches," Imad said.
Imad Wasim added that since 2019, Babar hasn’t played a single impactful knock worthy enough to win games for Pakistan and that the entire country is tired of supporting him.
"I remember Babar's innings in the 2019 World Cup, the one he played against New Zealand—the best of the best in One-Day cricket, right? And one innings against India when we won by 10 wickets. Other than those, tell me about impactful innings. This has been our concern for so long. You made him open, made him play at three, made him play at four... brother, until when? We are tired of supporting him, all of Pakistan," he added.
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Interestingly, Imad saved his wrath just for Babar Azam. He didn’t utter a single word against all-rounder Shadab Khan, who also scored 23 off 11 balls and conceded 31 runs off just 3 overs in the second inning.
This void has left fans to believe that Imad Wasim may have been biased with his analysis. However, Pakistan ultimately emerged as a loser in the bigger picture.
Babar Azam’s poor run continues in the T20 World Cup
After an extended sabbatical, Babar Azam was recalled into Pakistan’s T20I squad for the World Cup. But the veteran has been nothing more than a disappointment so far.
In 4 innings, he has managed to accumulate just 91 runs with a 22.75 average. Batting at no. 4, Babar Azam has repeatedly failed to anchor the innings when Pakistan needed it the most.
This gap in the lineup has become a headache for Pakistan in this ICC T20 World Cup 2026. After a washout against New Zealand, they lost their second Super 8 fixture against England, thus dropping to third place in the Group 2 table.
With England already making it to the knockout stage, the odds of Pakistan advancing further in this tournament are very slim.
Pakistan no longer in control of their fate
For Pakistan, Babar Azam is only part of the problem. Their bigger headache is the qualification scenario for the semi-finals. With only a single point achieved from the last 2 games, the men in green are no longer fully in control of their fate.
Apart from winning against Sri Lanka, Pakistan will depend on New Zealand’s remaining results. If the Black Caps lose both games, Pakistan can progress comfortably.
But if New Zealand win once, NRR could decide the final spot, making Pakistan’s winning margin crucial in their last match.
Also Read- Babar Azam Viciously Attacked by Shaheen Afridi After England Loss
