Pakistan will open their Super Eights campaign against New Zealand on Saturday in Colombo amid a debate over the position of star batsman Babar Azam. The match will start at 6.30pm Pakistan time.

Amid the tournament buildup, Pakistan’s batting order has become a talking point.

Head coach Mike Hesson confirmed that star batsman Babar Azam will not return to the top of the order, describing him instead as “a fine player through the middle if required.”

Hesson’s comments mark one of the most candid assessments of Babar’s performance in the T20 World Cup powerplay, which he has historically struggled with.

“Babar’s well aware that his strike rate in the powerplay is less than 100 in T20 World Cups,” Hesson said.

“That’s not a role we think we need here. We think he’s a fine player through the middle if required. If we’re in a little bit of trouble, or as we saw against the USA, once he gets himself set, he can increase his strike rate at that point.”

Across five T20 World Cups, Babar has faced 217 balls in the powerplay for just 187 runs, giving him a strike rate of 86.17.

This makes him the only player in T20 World Cup history to face over 200 balls in the powerplay with a strike rate under 90.

His longtime opening partner, Mohammad Rizwan, has a strike rate of 98.17 in similar conditions.

Since returning to the team after a dip in form, Babar has settled into the No 4 spot, providing stability through the middle rather than explosive starts.

In the recent match against Namibia, Babar did not bat at all, as Pakistan’s second wicket only fell in the 13th over — a first in his T20I career.

Hesson explained that the team has players better suited for the finishing role, and Babar must adapt to the role the team requires.

“He brings batsmanship through the middle, and he certainly delivers that for us,” Hesson said.

“But after the 12th over, Babar’s not the best person to come in. We brought him back post-Asia Cup for a specific role, and he’s doing that well.”

Pakistan’s opening Super Eights opponent, New Zealand, could pose additional challenges for Babar in the middle overs, particularly against left-arm spinners Mitchell Santner and Rachin Ravindra.

Despite concerns over his record against left-arm spin, neither bowler has yet dismissed him in T20Is — Santner is wicketless in nine innings, while Ravindra has failed in two meetings.

In other matches, defending champions India will take on South Africa on Sunday in a rematch of the thrilling 2024 T20 World Cup final.

The Super Eights stage sees each team play their three group opponents.

Group 1 consists of India, Zimbabwe, the West Indies, and South Africa, and Group 2 features Pakistan, Sri Lanka, England, and New Zealand.

Teams start this stage with zero points, and the top two sides from each group will progress to the semi-finals.