![Salman Agha sends chilling warning to Babar, Fakhar [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1770372292800_SalmanAghasendschillingwarningtoBabar,Fakhar.jpg?type=hq)
Salman Agha sends chilling warning to Babar, Fakhar [Source: X]
Pakistan begins its T20 World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Saturday, and the team has been oozing with confidence after beating the Australian side, 3-0, in the recently concluded T20I series. Heading into the World Cup, Pakistan has almost all the bases covered, barring a couple.
While the bowling department looks sorted, keeping in mind the Sri Lankan conditions, the chink lies in their batting department. Salman Agha has been going through a purple patch, and while the likes of Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub have done well, the form of Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman remains a cause of worry.
Salman Agha sends stern warning to Babar and Fakhar Zaman
The Pakistan duo has struggled in T20Is, and their numbers reflect the fact that Pakistan has carried two underperformers in their World Cup squad. Speaking about Babar and Fakhar’s future and their place in the T20 World Cup XI, captain Salman Agha gave a stern warning to the duo.
Salman Agha mentioned that Pakistan will play their best combination according to the pitch conditions, and if Babar and Fakhar don’t fit in the scheme of things, they won’t play against the Netherlands.
"We will play the best combination. If Fakhar & Babar don't fit into it, then we will not include them," the Pakistan captain said at the pre-game presser.
Babar and Fakhar - the two burden carrying by Pakistan
Not every player fits in every format, and the same goes for Babar and Fakhar. Fakhar, 35, is well past his prime, and he slows down the Pakistan batting in the T20I format.
With Fakhar Zaman, consistency is missing and so is his hitting power. Last year, Pakistan gave him 22 matches to showcase his class, and the southpaw failed to deliver the goods. He racked up only 512 runs, with an average of 28.44, and a strike rate of just 127.68.
Moreover, in 2026, Fakhar has played 3 matches, and has 25 runs under his belt with a strike rate of just 75.76.
Babar’s case is no different as the right-handed batter has struggled to cope with the strike rate pressure in this format.
Last year in eight games, the former T20I captain could only score 206 runs, with a strike rate of just 114.44. In 2026, the trend continued as his strike rate improved slightly (124.59), but it still isn’t at the level Pakistan wants him to play.
Who will replace Babar and Fakhar if Pakistan drop them
Pakistan does have plenty of options to choose from if the duo gets dropped by the management. If Salman Agha drops Babar, the team can replace him with an all-rounder. In Sri Lankan conditions, Pakistan can do wonders with an extra spinner, and one of the all-rounders could help their cause.
For Fakhar Zaman, Pakistan has a solid replacement ready in the form of Khawaja Nafay. The youngster was quickly drafted in the T20 World Cup squad, as Pakistan see him as their future middle-order star.
Unlike Fakhar, he can play quickly in the middle-overs, and is also a brilliant player of spin-bowling, a trait that the team needs desperately.
