Babar Azam hammered Shaheen Afridi [Source: @cric_blog/X]The PCB recently announced Pakistan's squad for the T20 World Cup 2026. While Haris Rauf was a prominent name to miss out, the likes of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Salman Ali Agha, and Saim Ayub were included as Pakistan's key players for the mega event. With their first T20 World Cup 2026 match barely ten days away, the Men in Green have started their preparations for the tournament. As the Pakistan players gathered for a practice session, a high-voltage face-off between their two biggest stars, Shaheen Afridi and Babar Azam, grabbed the limelight. Pakistan will take on Australia in a three-match T20I series, serving as their final dress rehearsal for the T20 World Cup. Ahead of the much-anticipated home series, the Pakistani players fine-tuned their game through an intra-squad contest, where Babar Azam dominated Shaheen Afridi, hitting a flurry of boundaries against him. Babar Azam oozes class to leave Shaheen Afridi shockedAs the Pakistani players geared up for the Australia series and the T20 World Cup, Babar Azam faced Shaheen Afridi in a fascinating intra-squad contest. Considering their stature and experience, an even battle was expected. However, Babar completely annihilated the left-arm pacer, leaving him rattled with a streak of glorious boundaries. Statistically, Babar collected 21 runs off just five balls, showcasing his class and elegance. When Shaheen pitched the ball up, Babar used the long levers to dispatch him for a huge six over the long-on fence. As the left-arm pacer went defensive and bowled wide outside the off-stump, Babar caressed the ball through the off-side for a boundary. CricBlog ✍ @cric_blog Babar Azam hits 21 runs off 5 deliveries against Shaheen Shah Afridi in a practice match. #Cricket Jan 27, 2026, 5:04 AM The stylish right-hander further went on to smash Shaheen's short ball over the mid-wicket boundary for another six before flicking another full ball past the fine-leg for a boundary. Thus, despite Shaheen varying his length and pace, Babar exhibited remarkable range and flawless control, emerging as the clear winner in the face-off. Did Shaheen Afridi's fitness let him down vs Babar Azam?Although Shaheen can be seen bowling in full throttle in the clip, it's worth mentioning that the fast bowler recently recovered from a knee injury that he sustained during his BBL 2025-26 stint with the Brisbane Heat. The fast bowlers generally find it tough to regain their mojo immediately after an injury setback; so, Pakistan would like Shaheen to bowl more and get into the groove ahead of the T20 World Cup. Babar Azam shows promising signs before T20 World CupOn the other hand, Babar, who had a poor BBL 2025-26 campaign for the Sydney Sixers, thus proved his readiness for the Australia series and the T20 World Cup. With Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub set to open, Babar Azam will play a pivotal role for Pakistan at number three in the showpiece event. Having said that, doubts still loom over Pakistan's participation in the T20 World Cup following Bangladesh's ouster, with the Pakistani government yet to take a call on the matter by the next Monday.
