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Babar Azam Sets Unwanted T20 World Cup Record With Lowest Strike Rate

Babar Azam has registered the lowest strike rate by a batter in the history of the men's T20 World Cup. His knock of 25 runs from 24 balls against England further lowered his tournament strike rate to 111.5. Pakistan managed to post 164 for 9 in their innings, aided by Sahibzada Farhan's 63. England's bowlers, led by Liam Dawson, kept the pressure on throughout the Pakistan innings.

Key Points: Babar Azam's Record Low T20 World Cup Strike Rate

  • Lowest strike rate in T20 WC history
  • Scored 25 off 24 balls
  • Career T20 WC strike rate of 111.5
  • Pakistan posts 164/9 vs England
  • England bowlers restrict Pakistan
2 min read

Babar Azam registers lowest strike rate in men's T20 WC history

Babar Azam registers the lowest strike rate in men's T20 World Cup history after scoring 25 off 24 balls against England.

"Babar Azam endured another disappointing outing - Match Report"

Pallekele, February 24

Pakistani batter Babar Azam endured another disappointing outing in the ongoing T20 World Cup, registering the lowest strike rate by a batter in the history of the tournament.

With Pakistan's all-important Super Eight clash to be won following a washout against New Zealand, all eyes were on Babar to finally play a big knock. However, he disappointed big time, scoring just 25 in 24 balls, with two fours.

This drops Babar's T20 World Cup strike rate to 111.5, the lowest by a batter in the tournament's history (among players with 500 runs). Above him are: Pakistan's Mohammed Hafeez (111.8), Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara (112.2) and New Zealand's Kane Williamson (112.5).

In 23 T20 World Cup matches, Babar has made 640 runs at an average of 33.68 and a strike rate of 111.5, with five fifties in 21 innings.

In the ongoing tournament, he has made just 91 runs in four innings at an average of 22.75 and a strike rate of 112.34, with a best score of 46.

Coming to the match, Pakistan won the toss and opted to bat first. Sahibzada Farhan (63 in 45 balls, with seven fours and two sixes) continued his fine form in the tournament and along with knocks from Babar, Fakhar Zaman (25 in 16 balls, with two fours and sixes each), and Shadab Khan (23 in 11 balls, with four boundaries) took Pakistan to 164/9.

Liam Dawson (3/24), Jofra Archer (2/32) delivered brilliant four over spells, while Jamie Overton (2/26) also was brilliant in his three-over spell.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The numbers don't lie. When you have power-hitters around you, you have to keep the scoreboard ticking. 25 off 24 in a crucial game is a momentum killer. Pakistan's middle order had to do the heavy lifting because of this slow start.
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Aditya G
Yaar, this is the problem with making your best batsman the captain. The pressure to not get out and "build an innings" is killing his natural game. Look at how freely Fakhar and Shadab played! Sometimes you just have to go for it, boss.
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Priyanka N
Respectfully, I think the criticism is a bit harsh. He's still averaging 33+ in T20 WCs, which is solid. Not every player can be a 150+ strike rate monster. His role might be to hold one end. But yes, in modern T20, 111 is very low for a top-order bat.
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Michael C
The comparison with Sangakkara and Williamson is interesting. They played in slightly different eras of T20. The game has evolved so much in the last 5 years. A strike rate that was acceptable then is a liability now, especially in the powerplay.
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Kavya N
It's a team sport, and they still posted 164. Farhan played well. But as a fan watching from India, you feel for Pakistani fans. When your star player isn't firing, it puts so much pressure on the rest. Hope he comes good in the knockouts! 🇮🇳🤝🇵🇰

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