Babar Azam has old and new fears breathing down his neck

No bowler has dismissed Babar Azam more times in T20Is than Adam Zampa (five times). Since 2020, Babar has faced Zampa in five games and scored only 31 runs off him. And each time, it was the legspinner who sent Babar packing.

Teams have learnt a tad too well what bothers Babar Azam, and he, too, has not done much to prove them wrong. Even in his prime, when his game against spin was stronger than pace, and significantly stronger than it is now, Babar did not fancy playing the sort of spin bowling that moved towards him, be it a googly or off-spin. 

This has, of course, become more prominent now that he is genuinely struggling against every kind of spin.

×

Australia tour of Pakistan, 2026 Jan 29 to Feb 01

More>

February 1, 2026 6:00 pm Upcoming

Match starts at Feb 01, 11:00 GMT

Australia

 

Pakistan

 

January 31, 2026 6:00 pm Result

Pakistan won by 90 runs

Australia

108/10 (15.4)

Pakistan

198/5 (20)

At this point, little about the circumstances works in the right-handed batter’s favour. He has not played any T20Is in Sri Lanka, where Pakistan have all their World Cup games scheduled. 

And if you argue familiarity with a venue does not have much to do with how things pan out for a player, remember that Sri Lanka is most definitely going to be dishing out surfaces that will give spinners plenty to work with.

And on top of that, Babar has a new spot to acclimatise to. Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha confirmed he will bat more regularly at the first drop. This means he will have to come in at No. 4, where he has batted only three times, once in 2017, and twice in this series.

At 31, waiting out his lean patch is no longer a possibility. If he does not overcome his fears, he will have a crisp new stack of them, the older ones and the newer ones, with each series, with each game. 

There is only so far his reputation can take him before his wicket becomes easy pickings for the opposition, and that might be nearing sooner. Sooner than he’d like.

ALSO READ: 

Who Is Usman Tariq? Pakistan’s Mystery Spinner Making Headlines Ahead of T20 World Cup 2026- IPL