'Short ball again': Babar Azam misses out on 50 as Sri Lanka exploit Pakistan star's weakness in Tri-series opener

Babar Azam was dismissed for 45 off 57 balls by a short ball as Pakistan batted first against Sri Lanka in the tri-series opener.

Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl first at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

Fans on X criticised the way Babar handled the short ball and questioned how he would cope against stronger attacks.

Babar Azam falls short of a fifty in the tri-series opener vs Sri Lanka

Babar Azam missed out on a half-century in Pakistan's opening match of the ODI tri-series against Sri Lanka at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday, October 18. Pakistan were asked to bat first after Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bowl.

Babar, who was listed at No. 3 in Pakistan's lineup, was dismissed for 45 off 57 balls by a short ball, leaving him five runs short of a fifty. The wicket has come at a tough point for the hosts.

This match is the first of six league games in the tri-series between Pakistan, England and Sri Lanka, with the top two teams moving into the final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on October 31.

All three nations are using the series to prepare for the 2027 World Cup. With Babar seen as Pakistan's top batter and their main anchor, his inability to hold his wicket and convert milestones has been the topic of much scrutiny from the cricketing world. Fans on X even took shots at his record against the short ball.

Fans react to Babar Azam's dismissal as Sri Lanka exploit Pakistan star's weakness

Babar was already under scrutiny after Pakistan's 3-0 Test whitewash in England, where he fell to a Jofra Archer bouncer at Lord's, so another short-ball dismissal drew an instant reaction. One fan wrote , "NO WAAAAY! Babar Azam gets dismissed by a short ball AGAIN! He departs for 45 off 57 balls. 💔"

Another fan also took aim at his scoring rate, noting that Babar's 45 came at a strike rate of around 79, and compared him with Indian batter Shreyas Iyer. They wrote , "India has Shreyas Iyer. Pakistan has Babar azam. Both are mug against short balls; both do tuk-tuk on flat pitch. both fail on tough wickets So many similarities, man 😭."

The surface was part of the discussion too, with Sri Lanka captain Kusal Mendis having called it "a great batting track" at the toss. A third fan felt the bounce on offer had made the difference and wrote, "Babar going with the short ball, soft dismissal as both Fakhar and Babar have shown that this pitch helps hitting the deck hard."

Some supporters tied the wicket to his struggles in England, where Babar made 8 and 6 at Lord's and was then bowled for 7 at Edgbaston. One fan went further and wrote, "Babar Azam dismissed for 45. Babar Azam can't play short balls. Since Jofra Archer's short ball, everyone is exploiting this weakness."

The next big test is not far away, as Pakistan face England in Rawalpindi on October 20, although Archer has been rested from England's squad for the series. A final fan questioned what the dismissal meant for tougher assignments and wrote, "Babar Needs to work on his Short Ball issues. If these ordinary bowlers are dismissing him on the short ball, how will he survive against the top quality bowlers?"

Babar Azam must solve his short-ball problem before the 2027 World Cup

Babar Azam's short-ball problem is now as much about shot selection as technique. He had faced 57 balls, played a few fine drives and helped steady Pakistan after two powerplay wickets, yet he pulled a short ball from Eshan Malinga in the 20th over straight to a fielder.

Nothing forced the shot. Pakistan were batting first, a long way from any chase, and his strike rate of around 79 was below his career rate of roughly 87. A batter with 20 ODI hundreds and an average above 53 did not need to take on that ball.

Sri Lanka have also handed every other attack a template. England are in Rawalpindi on October 20 and will plan around the same length, so Babar needs a clear method, whether that is leaving it, ducking it or pulling only when he is set up for it, rather than another instinctive swing.

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