'Babar Azam will be under tremendous pressure': Ex-star predicts T20 World Cup will be Pakistan captain's 'last chance'

Babar Azam had a forgettable outing in the Asia Cup while his team lost to an unheralded Sri Lanka in the final.

Babar Azam came into the Asia Cup on top of the world thanks to his consistent performances across formats for Pakistan but it seems the pressure on him has doubled right before the T20 World Cup. Babar had a forgettable outing in the Asia Cup, scoring a paltry 68 runs in six innings while opening for Pakistan. The team, meanwhile, fell in the final to Sri Lanka by 23 runs.

Babar Azam had a forgettable outing with the bat in the Asia Cup (AP)

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has said that Babar could be facing the sack as captain, or could even be replaced as an opener, if the team doesn't do well in the upcoming T20 World Cup. "Babar Azam is out of form. Several questions have also been raised about his captaincy. I think this will be his last chance as captain. He will be under tremendous pressure because if this team doesn't do well, it will lead to his exit as captain. He is undoubtedly a great player. However, I don't feel that he has backed the right team," said Kaneria on his Youtube channel.

"Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam's strike rates at the top are a concern. They haven't been able to utilize the field restrictions early on and have failed to set up a platform for the other batters. Babar can't just think about his own batting but should keep the team at the forefront.

"He must understand that if he isn't able to score as an opener, then some other player should replace him at that position. He can drop himself down to the No. 3 position. They can try this out against England as Rizwan has been rested for those matches," he said. Pakistan start their T20 World Cup campaign on October 23 with a match against arch-rivals India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.