Imad Wasim defends struggling Babar Azam, says Pakistan still needs him at 2026 T20 World Cup

Pakistan opened their 2026 T20 World Cup campaign with a narrow three-wicket win over the Netherlands in Colombo, but the victory could not hide a major problem. Babar Azam once again struggled to impress, raising new questions about his form on the biggest stage.

Pakistan starts T20 World Cup 2026 with a win, but Babar Azam remains a concern

Chasing a modest target of 148, the Men in Blue were expected to cruise with ease, but Babar’s slow innings added pressure against the Netherlands. The senior batsman managed just 15 runs off 18 balls and seemed to lose his rhythm during his stay at the crease.

The former Pakistan captain was eventually dismissed when he made a big try against Roelof van der Merwe, leaving Pakistan in a tough spot during the chase. However, the Men in Green chased the target in the final with three wickets in hand.

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Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha bring aggression to the fore

On the other hand, the intent of young opener Saim Ayub and skipper Salman Ali Agha impressed everyone. Saim played fearless cricket and scored 24 runs off just 14 balls, although the number 3 batsman, Agha, was killed for just 12 off 8 balls.

Their attacking approach increased scoring but also came with risks, making stability in the middle order even more important in the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. That is where Babar’s role becomes crucial for Pakistan, Imad Wasim opined.

Imad Wasim backs Babar’s role on slow pitches in Colombo

The former Pakistan all-rounder pointed out that scoring is not easy; totals around 140 to 150 are often competitive on slow fields such as Colombo. In such conditions, Imad believes Pakistan can rely on Babar to hold one end, absorb the pressure and calmly lead the chase as the first wickets fall.

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Imad Wasim said on the Dug Out show, “I think Babar can control the game as Saim and Agha play risky cricket, and if early wickets fall, Babar can control the game. In Colombo and Sri Lanka, I don’t think there will be many runs unless it is a night game or a duo. So 140-150 runs was okay. I think Babar is an ideal player to chase. Today he failed, but most of the time he is an ideal player to chase chasing 145-150.”

Even Imad Wasim is looking forward to it😭😭pic.twitter.com/yBiyAftue9

— Hassan Abbasian (@HassanAbbasian) February 8, 2026

His failure in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup has put pressure on Babar, and he needs to rediscover his form quickly as Pakistan have some tough games ahead of them, especially against India.

However, Babar had shown his intent with an unbeaten 50 off 36 balls against Australia in the final T20I of the home series, but his BBL 2025-26 figures were disappointing. Babar scored 202 runs for the Sydney Sixers in 11 innings with a strike rate of just 103.06 and an average of 22.44.

Hitting sixes is not Babar’s strength: Mohammad Kaif

Meanwhile, former India batsman Mohammad Kaif bluntly said that hitting big sixes is not Babar’s natural game and trying to play that way often lands him in trouble, and that happened against Netherlands.

Kaif said in a Hindi commentary: “Hitting sixes is not his strength. You said he would hit a six. Yes, he tried, but look what happened – he got out. His style is not hitting sixes; it is taking singles and doubles and trying to win matches that way.”