The former South Africa captain, Faf du Plessis, has reflected on the batting performance of Babar Azam in the modern T20I format as he continues to struggle during the T20 World Cup 2026. During their last group-stage clash against Namibia, the management dropped the batter so much that he didn’t even get a chance to hold the stick in the middle. 

Du Plessis reckoned that Babar Azam, despite being one of the greatest players, would know that he had stayed a little behind in the format, which has gone forward a lot. Pakistan has scored 15, 46, and 05 in three innings.

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“Look, I think first of all, all great players evolve at different points in their careers. Someone like Babar, we’ve known him as one of the world’s best players for a very, very long time. I think T20I cricket has moved so far forward, especially in terms of strike rates, that he’s found himself a little bit behind in that area.” Du Plessis expressed on ESPNcricinfo.

Faf du Plessis speaks on Babar Azam’s batting in T20 World Cup 2026

Du Plessis also reflected on how Babar could prove to be a vital bridge of the batting line-up on tricky surfaces when a strike rate of 120 or 130 would be an advantage. Pakistan’s head coach, Mike Hesson, has echoed the sentiment.  

Watch the video here: 

'Can't be at 120 strike rate in the powerplay' - Faf du Plessis on Babar Azam's role this T20 World Cup pic.twitter.com/Uuc9n7PsH6

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 22, 2026

“So if you’re someone like Mike Hesson, what he’s trying to do is find the best way to reintroduce him into the game. On spinning pitches, especially in the middle overs, that’s where someone like him is worth his weight in gold. When you come to flat wickets, those kinds of roles aren’t as important anymore. But on tricky surfaces, there is still a role for someone who plays at a 120–130 strike rate.” The former Protea leader addressed.

“I can imagine he’s looked at how to get the best out of Babar, especially considering that in the last couple of years, certainly in the powerplay, the game has moved too far forward to bat at a 120 strike rate. Now you need to be at 160, 170, 180, even 200-plus, to really maximize those first six overs.” Du Plessis concluded.