'It's a hotly debated topic' - Umar Gul shares verdict on Pakistan's Babar and Fakhar conundrum before India fixture | Exclusive
Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam (Source: IG/@fakharzaman719 and BabarAzam)
Published - 13 Feb 2026, 08:45 PM• Read time - 3 mins
Pakistan left everyone by surprise, including numerous cricket pundits, when they decided to make Fakhar Zaman warm the bench for their T20 World Cup 2026 opener against the Netherlands at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) on February 7. However, Fakhar's omission put the spotlight on Babar Azam, who is currently batting out of position at No. 4 after having played his entire career in the top three.
Babar failed miserably with the bat in a tense run chase, scoring 15 off 18 deliveries at an underwhelming strike rate of 83.33 with a solitary boundary, but a whirlwind knock by Faheem Ashraf helped Pakistan get over the line.
However, Babar got his act together in the game against the USA and scored a 32-ball 46 at a strike rate of 143.75 and tried to bat with some intent.
With the clash against their arch-rivals fast approaching, Pakistan need to decide between Babar and Fakhar to narrow down their playing combination and register a win that may as well help them finish the group stage on top.
Former pacer Umar Gul felt that even though Babar is "Pakistan's best player," Fakhar is better equipped to bat at four due to his power-hitting calibre.
"It's a hotly debated topic. Babar Azam is Pakistan's best player," Gul said during the latest episode of the Mr. Cricket UAE Podcast. "But Fakhar Zaman is better suited to bat at No. 4, where Babar is currently batting, purely because of his power-hitting ability. You have a foundation and a momentum to work with when you come to bat in the middle order, and I think Fakhar can carry that momentum better compared to Babar.
"But I am sure Babar must have extracted a lot of confidence out of his last outing against the USA, where he scored 40 plus (46). He just needed a bit of confidence. He is a great player and has performed on numerous occasions for Pakistan, and nobody can question that. He hasn't been performing lately, but I think his knock against the USA will hold him in good stead ahead of the clash against India," he mentioned.
When asked whether Fakhar should replace Babar for the game against India, Gul said that the fixture against the USA was the ideal opportunity for Pakistan to test their bench strength, but since they didn't make any change to their combination, they should stick with the same playing XI in the match against India.
"We should have tested our bench strength in the previous game [USA]. I think we should have utilised it well. However, since we didn't do that, I'd like us to field the same XI and back it to do the job against India," Gull added.
Gul also said that the team management should keep faith in the under-fire wicketkeeper batter Usman Khan, who has bagged two ducks in consecutive games, rather than replacing him with Khawaja Nafay.
"I think the team management should give another opportunity to Usman Khan, and I am sure they trust him to get the job done, as that is why they are preferring him over Nafay. Therefore, I feel that they should refrain from experimenting with the XI and back the same set of players to perform against India," Gul said.
