Kaif's Blunt Assessment of Babar Azam's Batting Limitations
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif delivered a pointed critique of Pakistan's star batter Babar Azam during commentary, questioning his power-hitting capabilities in the T20 format. Kaif's remarks came immediately after Babar's dismissal while attempting a big shot against the Netherlands in Pakistan's T20 World Cup opener.
"Six-Hitting Isn't His Strength" - Kaif's On-Air Analysis
Speaking on Hindi commentary, Kaif observed: "Hitting sixes isn't his strength. You said he would hit a six. Yes, he tried, but look what happened, he got out. His style isn't hitting sixes, it's taking singles and doubles and trying to win matches that way."
The moment Kaif referenced occurred when Babar advanced down the track to a fullish delivery from Dutch spinner Roelof van der Merwe. The Pakistan batter attempted to hit the ball down the ground but instead found the fielder at long-off, departing after scoring just 15 runs from 18 deliveries.
Babar's Concerning Form Leading Into Tournament
Babar Azam entered the T20 World Cup with significant questions surrounding his form and strike rate. His maiden Big Bash League campaign with the Sydney Sixers proved particularly underwhelming, where he managed only 202 runs across 11 innings at a strike rate of 103.06 and an average of 22.44.
Pakistan's selection committee faced considerable scrutiny for including Babar in their World Cup squad given these statistics. The former captain's preparation included three T20Is against Australia at home, where he showed glimpses of form with an unbeaten 50 off 36 balls in the final match, following scores of 24 and 2 in the first two games.
Pakistan's Dramatic Collapse and Recovery
The match against the Netherlands nearly became a major upset for Pakistan, who were chasing a modest target of 148 runs. At 98/2 after 11 overs, victory appeared certain before Pakistan's batting order experienced a dramatic collapse.
The turning point came during a double-wicket maiden delivered by seamer Paul van Meekeren, which began a period where Pakistan lost five wickets for just 17 runs across 37 deliveries without hitting a single boundary. The asking rate ballooned from 5.55 to 14.50 during this collapse.
Pakistan's recovery came through a spectacular 19th over assault by all-rounder Imad Wasim, who smashed 24 runs off Logan van Beek's bowling, including three sixes and a boundary. This late surge ultimately secured Pakistan's victory, though not before the Netherlands had several opportunities to clinch what would have been a historic win.
Coaching Staff's Strategic Decisions
Head coach Mike Hesson clarified in a pre-tournament press conference that Babar Azam would not be opening the batting for Pakistan during the World Cup, despite having played that role for the Sydney Sixers in the BBL. This strategic adjustment indicates the team management's awareness of Babar's recent struggles and their attempt to optimize his contributions in the middle order.
The Netherlands, despite their loss, demonstrated significant improvement in their bowling attack and field placements, particularly through the disciplined spells of van Meekeren and van der Merwe that nearly engineered a stunning upset against one of cricket's traditional powerhouses.
