‘You want experienced players making simple decisions’ – Eoin Morgan backs Babar Azam for India showdown at T20 World Cup | Exclusive

Former England skipper Eoin Morgan has thrown his weight behind Babar Azam ahead of the high-voltage 2026 T20 World Cup fixture between arch-rivals India and Pakistan on February 15 in Colombo.

Babar has been under the scanner after struggling to bat in accordance with the modern demands of the ever-evolving T20 format, leading to calls of his ouster from the shortest format. A veteran of 141 games and now the all-time leading run-scorer in T20I history, Babar was dropped from Pakistan’s T20I squad in March last year ahead of their tour of New Zealand before returning in October for the series against South Africa.

While he has shown sporadic flashes of brilliance, Babar has largely been in the accumulator mould despite batting at a position that requires him to be the aggressor. He has had a lukewarm start in the T20 World Cup as well, with scores of 15 off 18 against Netherlands followed by 46 off 32 against USA.

Babar did not have a memorable time against Australia, who Pakistan defeated 3-0 at home in the lead-up to the ongoing global event. The right-hander scored an unbeaten 50 off 36 in the third and final encounter of the series, but his returns in the previous two outings were 2 off 5 and 24 off 20.

Babar also had a forgettable season with Sydney Sixers at the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26, tallying just 202 runs at a horrid strike rate of 103.06 in 11 games. Such sustained lack of fluency has once again led to questions about his position in the team. Morgan, however, reckoned that Babar’s experience of handling pressure could be key against India.

“For me, I would pick Babar in my team. I would pick Babar Azam in my team. And I say this because of the heightened pressure of the match. In pressure situations, people tend to make errors the majority of the time. And bear in mind, each and every player in the Pakistan squad is capable of doing great things," Morgan said in the latest episode of Mr Cricket UAE podcast.

"Babar Azam has always done great things. If I think conditions are going to be favourable for batting, that even lends itself more to Babar Azam. And under pressure, you want experienced players making simple decisions,” he added.

“For me, Babar Azam has done that throughout his career. He has been in situations where he has played in this huge game before. So, he won't be overawed by the occasion. I think making simple decisions, then, under pressure for him become easier than it would for most of the players. So, I would back experience in this fixture,” he concluded.