Babar Azam 'undroppable' due to politics; Hesson using him as 'insurance': Vaughan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said Babar Azam remains undroppable in Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign due to internal dynamics, but praised coach Mike Hesson for using him smartly as an "insurance policy."

Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes Babar Azam remains "undroppable" in Pakistan's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign due to political and structural realities within the team setup but praised head coach Mike Hesson for using the former captain smartly as an "insurance policy."

Babar's place in the playing XI has come under scrutiny after Pakistan's two-wicket loss to England, in which he managed 25 off 24 balls at No. 4. His overall strike rate in T20 World Cup history has now dropped to 111.5, the lowest among specialist batters in the tournament's history.

Reacting to his continued inclusion in the XI, Vaughan suggested that Hesson had handled a delicate situation astutely. "I admire overseas coaches that go and coach in Pakistan because I can only imagine what's going on," Vaughan told Cricbuzz.

"But Babar Azam himself, I think Mike Hesson has dealt with it brilliantly because he clearly has to play Babar Azam, and he's using him as an insurance policy. You lose two wickets; he's your insurance. He comes in at number four, and he can just play."

Vaughan also feels that Babar is well-suited to the pitches in Sri Lanka and should be performing well.

"In Sri Lanka, I think he's absolutely perfect for those wickets because Sri Lanka so far has been 150-180, and I think Babar's in that range. I think he'll get Pakistan to a 160-170 score," he said.