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Pakistan have dropped star batter Babar Azam from their playing XI for the crucial Super Eight match against Sri Lanka. This high-stakes encounter at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium sees Pakistan fighting for survival, needing a big win to keep their semifinal hopes alive.
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka won the toss and elected to bowl first, putting Pakistan in to bat. Salman Agha, leading the side, announced three key changes to the lineup. The exclusions are Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, and Salman Mirza, with Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafay, and Abrar Ahmed coming in. This marks a rare instance where Babar, Pakistan's former captain and all-time leading T20I run-scorer, misses a World Cup game despite being in the squad.
Salman Agha during the toss
Salman Agha's words reflected the pressure of a do-or-die scenario, where Pakistan must post a strong total and defend it tightly.
“It’s a massive opportunity. We just need to play a perfect game, bowl well, bat well, and field well, and I think everything will be fine. Yeah, we would have bowled first definitely, but there is no way we can do that while batting. So you just need to put up a good total and try to restrict them. It’s a mix, (knowing the calculations) to be very honest. Sometimes it can be tough and sometimes it’s easy. You have the freedom to go and just play shots or you know what you need to do. But yeah, it’s a mixed kind of a thing. We’ll just try to play a perfect game and I think the rest will be fine. Yeah, we got three changes. Babar Azam, Saim Ayub, and Salman Mirza are not playing. Naseem Shah, Khawaja Nafay, and Abrar Ahmed are playing.”
Pakistan Playing XI
Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Salman Agha (c), Khawaja Nafay, Usman Khan (w), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Tariq.
Social media erupts over Babar Azam being dropped
The decision sent shockwaves across social media, with fans divided between support for the bold move and concern over sidelining a key figure. Many highlighted Babar's underwhelming tournament as justification, while others debated if this signals the end of his T20I chapter.
High stakes in Pallekele
This Super Eight clash is pivotal for Pakistan, who face a tough net run-rate equation to qualify. Dropping big names shows the team's willingness to prioritize form and firepower. With Naseem Shah returning for pace and Abrar Ahmed adding spin variety, Pakistan aim to turn their campaign around.
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