The question around Babar Azam is no longer whether he is good enough for Pakistan’s T20I side. It is whether the role available to him is one Pakistan truly need.
Head coach Mike Hesson made it clear ahead of the Super Eights clash with New Zealand that Babar will not return to the top of the order. His powerplay strike rate in T20 World Cups — 187 runs off 217 balls (86.17) — underlines why. In an era where the first six overs demand aggression, Pakistan believe that tempo is non-negotiable.
Instead, Babar has been repositioned at No. 4 — a middle-order stabiliser. The idea is simple: if early wickets fall, he absorbs pressure, rebuilds, and accelerates once set. It is a safety-net role, one built around control rather than chaos.
But modern T20 cricket rarely rewards passive insurance policies. Pakistan’s evolving template prioritises hitters who can impose themselves immediately, even in middle overs dominated by spin. Against New Zealand’s left-arm options like Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra, Babar’s record shows durability but not dominance — tidy strike rates hovering around or below run-a-ball territory.
More tellingly, in a recent match, Pakistan bypassed him altogether when the platform was strong, preferring finishers deemed “more efficient” from the 12th over onward. That moment crystallised his current standing: not an automatic engine of momentum, but a contingency plan.
Babar remains one of Pakistan’s most accomplished batters, and his technical assurance still carries value. Yet his place now exists in reverse — a role carved out to accommodate him, rather than a tactical need demanding his skillset.
Whether he can redefine that middle-order brief — adding urgency without sacrificing stability — may determine if he is a necessity, or a luxury Pakistan can no longer afford.