Pakistan’s narrow defeat to England in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 match on February 24 has sparked violent debate among justice suckers and experts.
Chasing a target of 165, England edged home by two lattices, thanks largely to Harry Brook’s explosive century. Still, numerous are pointing fingers at crucial opinions and performances within the Pakistan camp. Former cricketers and judges have been vocal, condemning Babar Azam’s sluggish form, Shadab Khan’s ineffective display each round, and the controversial rejection of riddle incentive Abrar Ahmed from the playing XI. This composition dives into why these factors may have brought Pakistan the game and jeopardized their semifinal prospects.
Babar Azam’s Slow Innings A instigation Killer in Pakistan vs England Clash
Babar Azam, often praised as one of the most stylish batsmen in world cricket, faced strong criticism for his slow 25 runs off 24 balls. He came in to bat at number four. However, he struggled to speed up the scoring. His slow innings reduced the team’s momentum.
Earlier, Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a strong start. He played an attacking knock of 63 runs. He scored quickly and put pressure on England’s bowlers. Pakistan looked set for a big total at that stage.
But Babar could not keep the pace. He failed to rotate the strike regularly. He also struggled to hit boundaries. As a result, England’s bowlers tightened their grip on the game. They built pressure with dot balls. This pressure led to mistakes from Pakistan’s middle order. The team lost wickets at crucial moments. Pakistan finally ended their innings at 164 for 9.
After the match, former Pakistan cricketer Ahmad Shehzad shared his opinion on X. He openly criticized Babar’s performance. He wrote, “25 off 24 from Babar stalled the innings. Then he played a reckless shot and got out.” Shehzad said Babar’s innings broke the flow of the game. He added that the team needed aggressive batting at that moment. He also pointed out that the pitch became better for batting later, so Pakistan missed a good opportunity to post a higher total.
Mohammad Amir and Shahid Afridi also participated analogous views with the former Pakistan leader saying that it was during Babar’s innings that Pakistan lost instigation while Afridi maintained that either one should let Babar Azam open the innings or just drop him
This is n’t the first time Babar has been scanned; analogous complaints arose after Pakistan’s 2024 T20 World Cup exit, where his preference for Shadab over Abrar was questioned.
In the 2026 edition, Babar’s form at No. 4 has raised questions about platoon balance, with suckers and experts calling for a rethink in his part amid Pakistan’s T20 World Cup struggles.
Shadab Khan’s Leaky Bowling and Questionable Selection Why He Underperformed Against England
All- rounder Shadab Khan came under fire for his bowling numbers, oohing runs in the middle overs when Pakistan demanded to squeeze England. Despite a late gem with the club, Shadab’s incapability to control the inflow allowed Brook to settle in and dominate. Judges point out that Shadab’s recent form has been inconsistent, with his leg- spin lacking bite on turning tracks like Pallekele.
Shehzad’s notice extended to Shadab, noting, “ Shadab poorly blurted runs in the middle overs when pressure was demanded the most. ”
Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez, during a television show, asked Saqlain Mushtaq( who also happens to be Shadab’s father- in- law) as to what part does Shadab play in the platoon? is he a fur each- rounder or a bowling each- rounder? for if he’s a bowling each- rounder, he’s simply failing at bowling good overs.