Babar Azam OUT! Pakistan To Drop Shaheen Afridi In T20 World Cup Vs Namibia

Pakistan to drop Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi [Source: AFP]

In a significant development, it has been understood that Pakistan will likely drop Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi from their playing XI for the final T20 World Cup 2026 match against Namibia. Both Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi failed to live up to the expectations in the high-voltage clash against India. 

While Shaheen Afridi managed a single wicket for 31 runs in two overs, Babar Azam was dismissed for five runs, disappointing the Pakistani fans with another poor outing. The failure of these two players adversely affected Pakistan's T20 World Cup campaign, pushing them down to third on the group-A points table. 

Babar Azam to be dropped after defeat vs India

Experienced batter Babar Azam was assigned the anchor's role to spearhead the Pakistani middle order in the T20 World Cup. However, the stylish right-handed batter has failed miserably so far, managing just 66 runs in three innings at a poor strike rate of 115.79. 

The seasoned campaigner rightfully earned massive backlash following another forgettable outing against India, as Axar Patel cleaned him up for five runs. Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson also took a jibe at him, citing the lack of performance from the experienced player as a major reason behind Pakistan's disastrous defeat. 

So, given that the Men in Green have Fakhar Zaman and the promising Khawaja Nafay in the reserves, they will likely exclude Babar Azam from their playing XI against Namibia, reported Geo News. Nafay struck 21 runs at a strike rate of 175 in the home series against Australia and can be a great power-hitting option for Pakistan in the must-win contest. 

Shaheen Afridi's place under threat as Pakistan seek redemption Vs Namibia

The defeat against India significantly reduced Pakistan's Net Run Rate, as Salman Ali Agha's men slipped to third on the group-A points table. As reported by Geo News, the Men in Green might also make Shaheen sit out of the Namibia match, which is a do-or-die T20 World Cup encounter for them. 

Shaheen Afridi has been a pale shadow of himself in the tournament, scalping only three wickets in as many matches. He has registered an economy of 11.22, making things significantly difficult for Pakistan and skipper Salman Ali Agha. 

So, as the report claims, Shaheen Afridi may emerge as a high-profile name to be dropped for the Namibia game due to a persistent lean patch. If Shaheen is benched, Salman Mirza will likely be back in the Pakistani playing XI. 

Mirza featured in Pakistan's tournament opener against Netherlands on February 7. He had a dream T20 World Cup debut, dismantling the Dutch with a spectacular three-wicket haul. 

However, as the tournament progressed, Pakistan brought Usman Tariq into their playing XI to boost the spin department and capitalise on the spin-friendly conditions in Sri Lanka. 

Pakistan's probable XI for T20 World Cup match vs Namibia

Saim Ayub, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Fakhar Zaman/Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan (WK), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Abrar Ahmed, Salman Mirza, Usman Tariq