The Pakistan management is considering a major change ahead of the must-win game against England in the Super 8s of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. According to RevSports, head coach Mike Hesson and the support staff are considering replacing former skipper Babar Azam with Khawaja Nafay for the game.
Pakistan are second in the Super Eight standings with one point. They are scheduled to play England in the fifth match of the Super 8 stage at the Pallekele Stadium on Tuesday, February 24. The upcoming clash is crucial for Pakistan, as a win is needed to keep their semi-final hopes alive in the tournament.
Pakistan Consider Dropping Babar Azam for Must-Win England Game
Babar Azam’s place in the team is under serious doubt ahead of the Super Eight match against England in Pallekele. According to RevSportz, Mike Hesson and the support staff are discussing whether to drop Babar Azam and bring in Khawaja Nafay.
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No final decision was taken on Monday, but the team was expected to make a call before the match. If Babar is left out, it could be hard for him to return to the side.
Babar was brought back into the T20I team after the Asia Cup last September. However, the management have struggled to find the right role for him during the tournament. They backed the 31-year-old for his experience and the slow pitches in Sri Lanka but dropped him to No. 4 in the batting order.
That’s What We Needed at That Time – Mike Hesson on Babar Azam’s Batting Demotion
Pakistan have often been criticized for playing an outdated style, and the debate grew louder after a heavy loss to India. However, they showed signs of intent during the match against Namibia.
Pakistan posted 199/3, but Babar Azam did not bat, as Khawaja Nafay was promoted to No. 5. Mike Hesson stated that the decision was based on match conditions. He said that it was wiser to avoid batting two right-handers together against left-arm spin.
“No, I wouldn’t say that,” Hesson had said at the presser. “Babar was the first to recognise when left-arm spin was taking shape and it was turning, it wasn’t a smart move to send out two right-handers. Nafay went out to take the game on. That’s what we needed at that time. So no, certainly not a paradigm shift, more about roles.”
Pakistan’s Super 8 Opener Against New Zealand Washed Out Due to Rain
Pakistan booked their place in the Super 8 stage after finishing second in Group A. Their opening Super 8 match against New Zealand ended without a result on Saturday, February 21, due to persistent rain at the R Premadasa Stadium. Both teams were forced to share one point each.
Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha won the toss and chose to bat first. The team made one change to the playing XI, bringing Fakhar Zaman into the middle order in place of Khawaja Nafay.
However, rain arrived soon after the toss and continued for a long period. With conditions failing to improve, match officials eventually called off the game. Pakistan will now have to win their remaining two matches to stay in the race for the semi-finals.
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