Mohammad Hafeez: “He cannot take 15-20 balls to start scoring runs against big teams, it will become a burden when he takes so many balls”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has said Babar Azam cannot afford to take 15 to 20 balls to get going against top teams in T20Is.
He warned that such an approach can be detrimental, as it places added pressure on the rest of the batting line-up to compensate.
Azam’s strike-rate has long been a topic of debate in the shortest format, with many calling for him to raise it urgently.
“He cannot take 15-20 balls to start scoring runs against big teams, it will become a burden when he takes so many balls,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X.
Azam recently showcased what he can do in T20 cricket when he led the Peshawar Zalmi to the title in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
He played an instrumental role in helping his team lift the trophy as he was the highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
After that, Azam played one Test against Bangladesh and scored 115 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
He then proceeded to make 125 runs in three ODIs against Australia, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Following his reappointment as Pakistan Test captain, Azam will now lead the national team in their two-Test series against the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
After that, the men in green will take on England in three Tests from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah