Pakistan Drop Babar Azam in High-Stakes T20 World Cup Clash

Pakistan made a bold selection call ahead of their must-win Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, dropping star batter Babar Azam from the playing XI. The high-pressure encounter, played in Kandy on Saturday, saw the team management ring in multiple changes as Pakistan fought to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Along with Babar Azam, opener Saim Ayub and pacer Salman Mirza were also left out of the lineup. The trio were replaced by Khawaja Nafay, Abrar Ahmed, and Naseem Shah as Pakistan opted for a reshuffled combination in the crucial fixture.

The decision to bench Babar Azam — one of Pakistan’s most prominent batters — triggered widespread debate on social media. While some fans praised the move as bold and necessary given the team’s recent struggles, others criticised the management, calling the exclusion a major tactical error in a do-or-die match.

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Pakistan entered the contest needing a convincing victory to stay in contention for the knockout stage of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026. With qualification scenarios tightly poised, the team’s selection gamble and on-field performance are expected to remain under intense scrutiny from fans and analysts alike.

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