Umar Akmal Addresses Babar Azam Comparison Controversy
Clarification from Umar Akmal
Umar Akmal has clarified his recent social media post that seemed to compare him with Babar Azam. He emphasized that his intention was never to belittle Babar. The post featured a collage contrasting Akmal's impressive performance against Australia in the 2014 T20 World Cup, where he scored 94 runs off 54 balls, leading Pakistan to a victory, with Babar's recent innings against England in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he managed only 25 runs off 24 balls, contributing to Pakistan's defeat.
In a post on X, Akmal stated that he did not intend to compare himself to Babar Azam, who he respects greatly as one of the world's leading batsmen. He explained that his aim was to point out that Babar is not ideally suited for the middle-order role in T20 cricket. Akmal clarified, "There was no intention of comparison; it was merely a comment on role suitability in the format. The post was simply a fan repost and not edited in any way," he wrote.
I want to clarify that my aim was never to compare myself with Babar Azam. He is currently one of the top batters in the world, and I have great respect for his achievements. My intention was only to highlight that he is not naturally a middle-order batter in T20 cricket, as that… pic.twitter.com/Agn6l8LVeq
— Umar Akmal (@Umar96Akmal) February 27, 2026
Concerns Over Babar Azam's Performance
Recently, Babar Azam's form has raised eyebrows, as he has struggled significantly over the past few years. Although he was dropped from the T20I squad, he was brought back just before the T20 World Cup. Unfortunately, his performance has not met expectations, with a notably slow strike rate that has negatively impacted the team. As a result, Pakistan finds itself on the brink of elimination from the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup. Following a rainout against New Zealand, they faced a loss to England, severely diminishing their chances of advancing to the semifinals.