Babar Azam Dropped? Pakistan's T20 WC Fate Hangs in Balance

Pakistan eyes T20 World Cup 2026 semifinals, but Babar Azam's place is under threat due to poor form. Sri Lanka also faces lineup changes. Read more!

Pakistan faces a critical juncture in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 stages, needing a victory against Sri Lanka on Saturday to advance to the semifinals. Following New Zealand's loss to England, Pakistan has a renewed chance, but internal changes are being considered.

Former captain Babar Azam is reportedly under scrutiny for his performance, with his strike rate of 112.34 in six matches being a point of concern. Pacer Shaheen Afridi publicly criticized Azam's slow scoring rate. An explosive young batter, Khawaja Nafay, is being considered as a potential replacement to inject more dynamism into the lineup.

Opener Sahibzada Farhan has been a standout performer for Pakistan, leading the tournament with 283 runs. He is nearing Virat Kohli's 2016 record for most runs in a single T20 World Cup edition. Additionally, pace-bowling all-rounder Faheem Ashraf, who was instrumental with the bat earlier, might also be included to bolster the batting order.

In the bowling department, Salman Mirza is expected to retain his place over Naseem Shah after a solid performance against England. For Sri Lanka, already eliminated from semifinal contention, wicketkeeper-batsman Kusal Mendis is set to miss the match due to a hamstring issue. He is likely to be replaced by Kamil Mishara, who will also open the batting.

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