Former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie shared his honest view on Babar Azam’s struggles in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Babar Azam’s T20I career was revived by the new head coach, Mike Hesson, yet the former Pakistan captain failed to live up to the expectations.
In four innings, the right-handed batter has scored only 91 runs at an average of 22.75. But it was his strike rate—just 111.5—that left everyone disappointed. That is now the lowest strike rate in T20 World Cup history for any player with more than 500 career runs in the tournament.
In the modern T20 cricket, batters attack from ball one, and strike rates touch 160, even 200, but Babar looks stuck. He plays too many dot balls. The Pakistan star slows down in the middle overs. He struggles against spin. And when pressure rises, he fails to shift gears.
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Jason Gillespie breaks silence on Babar's T20 World Cup 2026 struggles
Pakistan’s narrow Super 8 loss to England made things worse for both the team and Babar. However, Gillespie feels Babar needs clarity about his role and should play fearless cricket, but not careless.
Jason Gillespie said of Babar Azam, “There's been a lot of scrutiny about Babar Azam. My question would be, is he completely clear on what his specific role is in the team? And I'd love Babar to just go out there and play with complete freedom. For me, it's playing fearless cricket, but not reckless.”
The legendary Australian cricketer said that Babar must trust himself. He suggested Babar look for gaps, beat the infield, take smart risks, and attack when fielders stand inside the circle.
He said, “Always look to take the positive option. But it's not slogging; it's just being aggressive. Don't be afraid to take on the field. You only have to get over the infield, and you get runs. Play with intent.”
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Gillespie feels Babar worries too much about getting out, and that fear stops him from attacking. In T20 cricket, fear does not help. The former Australian pacer further mentioned that Babar is so focused on trying to get the team off to a good start and continue the game.
Babar needs real clarity in his mind: Gillespie
The coach explained, “I just wonder if Babar is just a little bit too worried about his wicket. That fear of getting out, the fear of failure in T20, doesn't last because the game moves so quickly. You've got to take the game on at some point.”
He feels Babar only needs clarity to make a strong comeback in the shorter format of the game. Gillespie signed off by saying, “I think if he's got that real clarity in his mind, just right, I'm just going to go out and play here; he will succeed more than he fails. As long as he's got that real clarity in his mind about just going out there and playing with that freedom and having really good intent.”
Jason Gillespie on Babar Azam ?️ "I'd love for Babar Azam to just go out there and play with complete freedom".Courtesy @SajSadiqCricketpic.twitter.com/zVsQCCOyHK
— Pakistan Cricket Team USA FC (@DoctorofCricket) February 26, 2026
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