Basit Ali predicts big on Babar Azam (Source: @Shebas_10dulkar/x.com, @JaikyYadav16/x.com)
After a record-breaking T20I series victory against Australia, Pakistan started their T20 World Cup 2026, but the concern for Babar Azam’s T20I form remained the same. Facing the Netherlands in the first match, the former Pakistani batters returned to the pavilion with a modest score of 15.
His early dismissal only intensified the backlash as former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali made an explosive claim. Reflecting on his awful form, Ali predicted Mike Hesson could drop Babar in the next game.
Basit Ali drops a bold prediction on Mike Hesson’s next move
It's been a long as former Pakistani skipper Babar Azam is struggling with his T20I form. Bilateral series, ICC tournaments, and even franchise T20 leagues, Babar Azam’s struggle has become an unsolved puzzle. As the Men in Green have stepped onto the big stage of the T20 World Cup, nothing changes at all.
Facing the Netherlands in their first clash of the tournament, Pakistan’s batting order crumbled under pressure. Standing on that point, Pakistan needed the former skipper to step into the moment, but he failed to survive against van de Merwe’s bowling and departed, scoring 15 runs in 18 deliveries.
After that, the buzz regarding his place in Pakistan’s playing XI in the upcoming matches, and the former Pakistani player, Basit Ali, made a massive call. Speaking on a YouTube show called The Game Plan, he said that head coach Mike Hesson could axe Babar Azam from the XI for the next match.
“I have a feeling that Babar will not play in Pakistan’s next game. The anger I saw on coach Mike Hesson’s face… I don’t think that he will play Babar at no 4 again in the next game,” Basit Ali said.
Basit Ali sparks debate with bold take on Babar’s T20 credentials
Over the years, Babar Azam has been the face of Pakistan cricket, shining in Tests and ODIs with his class. However, that dominance has often gone missing in T20Is, where his strike rate and mindset continue to be questioned. Reflecting on this, Basit Ali denied Babar as a T20I superstar.
“If you call Babar Azam a superstar in ODIs or Tests, I might still agree. But in T20Is? Kahaan se superstar hai? (How is he a superstar?) A batter who drops down from his regular batting position and comes out to bat at no 4, and cannot even tell the management that he’s not a no 4 batter! Doesn’t Babar know this?” he said.
Basit Ali ranks Babar below Usman Khan and Faheem Ashraf
With Babar Azam’s T20I form under the scanner, he endured a humiliating moment in the BBL when Steve Smith refused him a single to keep him off strike. Highlighting the incident once again, Basit Ali named players like Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, and Sahibzada Farhan as better players than Babar.
“Even a club cricketer will tell you that in T20s, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf… they are all better players in the format than Babar! Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub are also better T20 players than Babar, he said.
“Even Salman Ali Agha has shown that he’s a better player at No 3 than Babar. After what Steve Smith did with Babar Azam in the Big Bash League, people haven’t wisened up! He denied a single just to prevent Babar from getting on strike. His game is not suited (to T20s),” he added.
They kicked off the tournament with a dramatic win over the Netherlands, snatching victory from what looked like a lost cause. Before facing the USA in their next clash on February 10, they will try to rectify all the errors.
