Umar Akmal Reveals 'Real Intention' After Trolling Babar Azam Amid T20 World Cup

Umar Akmal clarifies intention behind Babar Azam post [Source: AFP]

Pakistan's forgotten cricketer Umar Akmal revealed why he took a sly dig at the talismanic Babar Azam amid his poor run in the T20 World Cup 2026. Renowned for his stylish batting, Babar has failed to live up to the expectations in the tournament so far. 

The veteran cricketer has even received massive backlash from fans and critics across the globe. With Babar Azam struggling to find his feet in the T20 World Cup, Umar Akmal took a jibe at him, comparing himself with the out-of-form batter. 

How Umar Akmal trolled Babar Azam on social media

Notably, Babar Azam has predominantly been a top-order batter for Pakistan in T20Is. The former captain has mostly batted at the top three positions, even registering multiple clinical milestones for the Men in Green as the opening partner of Mohammad Rizwan. 

However, the rise of Sahibzada Farhan as a potent opening option and Saim Ayub's all-round exploits prompted Pakistan to alter Babar's batting position for the T20 World Cup 2026. 

Although the strategic switch by the Mike Hesson-led think tank ensured more dynamic starts for the Men in Green, it affected Babar Azam's performance, with the latter finding it tough to get going in the middle order. 

Also read: Babar Azam To Replace Saim Ayub As Opener: Pakistan’s Compulsion Calls For Last-Ditch Act

As Babar continuously let the chances slip with middling outings, Umar Akmal shared a post on social media platform Instagram, comparing his returns as a middle-order batter to Babar's. 

The post signified how Akmal bailed Pakistan out of trouble from crisis, while also highlighting Babar's failure to do so in a similar match situation. 

Umar Akmal clarifies after viral post earns him backlash

Umar Akmal's social media post didn't sit well with Babar's fans, who accused him of being insecure. Later, the 35-year-old clarified that it was never his intention to troll Babar or demean his batting credentials. 

Akmal took to his official X handle, stating that he didn't even compare himself with Babar, acknowledging the latter's achievements and calling him as one of Pakistan's best batters. 

The out-of-favour cricketer further clarified his actual motive, revealing he wanted to convey that Babar is not a natural middle-order batter; so, the Pakistan team management must understand the importance of role clarity to make him succeed in the shortest format. 

"I want to clarify that my aim was never to compare myself with Babar Azam. He is currently one of the top batters in the world, and I have great respect for his achievements. My intention was only to highlight that he is not naturally a middle-order batter in T20 cricket, as that position doesn’t fully suit his batting style," Umar Akmal posted on X. 

"There was no comparison — just a point about role suitability in the format. It was just a fan repost and was not deliberately edited in any way," he added. 

Babar Azam's position in threat ahead of do-or-die match vs SL

Babar has gone through a torrid T20 World Cup campaign, amassing only 91 runs across four outings at an average of 22.75 and a modest strike rate of 112.35. 

Several cricket experts, including Mohammad Amir, have urged the Pakistani team management to replace the out-of-form batter with the explosive Khawaja Nafay, as the Men in Green are desperately searching for a win against Sri Lanka to qualify for the T20 World Cup semifinal. 

Also read: Will Jacks Rewrites T20 World Cup Record Books, Equals Shane Watson