Ricky Ponting, Ravi Shastri take 'struggling Babar Azam' issue seriously for Pakistan

Cricket greats reflect on Babar Azam's weak point (Source: @TsMeSalman/x.com)As Pakistan continues to struggle on the big stage, Babar Azam’s prolonged dip in form has emerged as a major concern. After walking away scoring only 15 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 opener, the criticism around him only grown louder.While the world doubts his T20 future, former Australian captain Ricky Ponting and former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri reflected on this. Ponting claimed Babar has lost his game-changing impact, while Shastri pointed out that soaring expectations are only adding to the pressure. Ricky Ponting breaks down what’s really hurting Babar Azam’s game In the modern day cricket in Pakistan, Babar Azam has long been regarded as a prized gem of the nation. The world saw his heroics on the big stage, but it took a bizarre slip in recent few years. The star Pakistani batter struggled with his form, and that continued even in the opening match of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Facing the Netherlands in the last match, Babar Azam walked away scoring only 15 runs in 18 deliveries, fueling even sharper criticism. Speaking on the ICC Review, Ricky Ponting said the Pakistan star has lost his trademark ability to dominate the middle overs. “If you're 15 off 18 balls, you're not just putting pressure on yourself, you're putting pressure on the guy at the other end. The guy at the other end then knows that he's got to be the one to take up the boundary scoring. Babar needs to hit boundaries early on. He needs to get off and going, he needs two boundaries in his first six balls, otherwise the whole momentum of the game is going to change every time he goes in,” he said. Ponting throws support behind Babar Azam’s trusted batting spot Babar Azam has recently been shuffled down the order, batting at number four instead of his usual spot. In the last match against the Netherlands, he batted at the similar position and faced another early dismissal. Reflecting on his struggle, Ponting backed Babar Azam for the number three position. “I would even think about batting him at No.3. I think the earlier he goes in, if he can get some time inside the Powerplay with the field up, I think that's going to help him because if he has just lost that little bit of power, then you need everything in your favour,” he said. “So having only two fielders out would help him. The guys that (are) batting after him have got plenty of power anyway. They can take advantage of those middle overs with the spinners on and the fielders out,” he added. Shastri explains how heavy expectations are hurting Babar’s game As Ricky Ponting highlighted some of the technical things behind Babar’s struggle, the former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri highlighted a completely different side of it. As Pakistan’s most successful batter, Babar carries enormous expectations on his shoulders. Highlighting this mental burden, Shastri said the weight of expectation is holding the star batter back. “When you are at that stage of your career, there's baggage. There's a weight of expectation. People expect you to go out there and deliver. Get out there (and) in your first five balls, I don't care if you get out, but I want you to make an effort to hit a couple of boundaries. Choose your spot, get into good positions, anticipate what the bowler is doing. You will feel a lot better, and things might change,” he said. It’s been a long wait as Babar Azam continues his form search, with his struggles most evident in the shortest format. As Pakistan is all set to face the USA on February 11, Babar Azam will have another chance to revive his form, and if he misses out on this, his T20I future will be doubtful.