Babar Azam Faces Fresh Questions as World Cup Countdown Ticks

Babar Azam walked in carrying hope and walked back carrying doubt. During the Big Bash League clash at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Babar never truly settled. The timing flashed only in patches, and then came the seventh over.

Marcus Stoinis, leading the Melbourne Stars, charged in and hit a hard length. Babar pressed forward, shut the bat face early, and missed everything that mattered. The ball hit his pad with a big impact in line. A loud appeal, and he had to get back to the pavilion.

Stoinis celebrated loudly, sending Babar off with words that echoed across the turf. The moment lingered longer than the delivery itself.

Babar paused, exchanged a few words with Josh Philippe, then chose not to review. Fourteen runs on seventeen balls with just one boundary, that was not something he and his fans expected.

The Pattern Fans Can’t Ignore

Since joining the Sydney Sixers in the BBL, Babar has struggled to convert starts into statements. Shots still look elegant, while drives still flow when the timing clicks. Yet the innings keep ending before they breathe.

Seven outings have brought 145 runs, and the average sits in the mid-twenties. And the strike rate also stays modest for this format. Those numbers, on their own, would not alarm, but the context does.

Babar’s strength was once his hunger for long stays, and he used to bat time out of games. Lately, that control slips after promising beginnings. Bowlers sense it and bring the field in close to mount early pressure.

What Comes Next as 2026 Nears

With the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 approaching, expectations around Pakistan’s premier batter are rising fast. Big tournaments leave little room for searching.

Ironically, this dismissal did little damage to the Sixers on the night. Ben Dwarshuis ripped through the Stars with four wickets, and Philippe anchored the chase calmly as Sydney cruised home by six wickets.

Still, the spotlight followed one man, and Babar's body language told its own story. A shake of the head, and the frustration was visible.

The path forward is clear, even if the answers are not. Longer stays matter now more than flair. The cricketing world waits to see whether Babar finds that old patience again or whether this uneasy phase stretches further into a year that demands clarity.