Ponting wants Babar at his best to take Pakistan deep in T20 World Cup
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged Babar Azam to deliver his best performance to take Pakistan forward in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
Ponting pondered on the question regarding Babar’s performance during the latest episode of the ICC Review with host Sanjana Ganesan.
“If you’re 15 off 18 balls, you’re not just putting pressure on yourself, you’re putting pressure on the guy at the other end,” Ponting said on Babar’s knock in the opening match of the World Cup.
“That batter then knows he has to take on the responsibility of boundary scoring. Babar needs to get going early. He needs boundaries in his first few balls, otherwise the momentum of the game shifts every time he comes in.”
He mentioned the batter’s ability to hit the long ball, stressing his batting number if Pakistan wants to go deeper in the tournament.
“To me, it looks like he’s lost a bit of his power and ball-striking ability,” the 51-year-old said.
“I defended him at the start of the tournament because big players with experience are crucial in big events. But Pakistan need the best version of Babar Azam if they want to go deep in this competition.”
“I would seriously think about batting him at No.3,” Ponting suggested.
The legendary batter suggested that Babar Azam should spend sometime int he Powerplay to capitalize on the conditions.
“If he can spend some time in the Powerplay with only two fielders out, it might help him. If he has lost a bit of power, then everything needs to be in his favour. The batters coming after him have plenty of power and can take advantage of the middle overs,” he conclcuded.
