Umar Akmal mocks Babar Azam on Instagram

Former Pakistan batter Umar Akmal has added his voice to the growing debate around Babar Azam’s form during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, after sharing a pointed comparison on social media.

Pakistan’s performance at the ongoing T20 World Cup has come under intense scrutiny, with particular focus on Babar Azam’s prolonged struggles with the bat.

The former captain has faced criticism for failing to produce match-defining innings over the past few years, a narrative that has sharpened during the Super Eights stage of the tournament.

That criticism gained further traction after Umar Akmal posted an image on Instagram comparing his own past performance with Babar’s recent outing.

The post showed Babar scoring 25 runs off 24 balls against England, before being dismissed, alongside Akmal’s explosive 94 off 54 balls against Australia in the World T20 2014.

While Akmal did not add a lengthy caption, the comparison was widely interpreted as a critique of Babar’s strike rate and impact in high-pressure games, and it quickly sparked debate among fans and analysts across Pakistan.

The timing of the post is significant, with Pakistan’s semi-final hopes hanging in the balance.

Pakistan were beaten by England in the Super Eights, while their match against New Zealand was washed out due to rain. As a result, Pakistan currently sit on one point, with New Zealand on three.

Pakistan’s qualification scenario is now clear. If New Zealand lose to England, Pakistan can still reach the semi-finals by defeating Sri Lanka by a big margin and finishing ahead on net run rate.

However, a New Zealand victory over England would end Pakistan’s campaign.