Michael Vaughan and Shahid Afridi are at odds over Babar Azam’s new role. Vaughan backs Mike Hesson’s "insurance policy" strategy, while Afridi claims it is destroying Babar's career.
Michael Vaughan Labels Babar Azam ‘Insurance Policy’ As Afridi Accuses Hesson of Ruining His Career (Image Source: X)
It is the tactical demotion of Babar Azam by head coach Mike Hesson during the ongoing 2026 T20 World Cup Super 8 stage that has sparked a heated debate between former England captain Michael Vaughan and Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi. After Babar's struggle at No. 4, including his 24-ball 25 against England, Vaughan implied that Hesson is cleverly turning the star batter into an "insurance policy" to help handle the complicated team politics.
On the contrary, Shahid Afridi has criticised the tactic and called it a "criminal" act, using Pakistan's best batter so wrongly that it is basically killing his T20I career.
Michael Vaughan praised Mike Hesson for the way he’s steered through the chaos of Pakistan cricket. On Cricbuzz, Vaughan said Babar Azam is basically undroppable right now, thanks to all the politics and how things work behind the scenes. Instead of going against that, Vaughan thinks Hesson has played it smart as he’s found a way to use Babar where the team really needs him.
"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 remarked. He further noted that on the slower surfaces in Sri Lanka, a player who can knock spinners around at a strike rate of 125 to 130 is "absolutely perfect" to ensure Pakistan reaches a competitive total of 160–170. For Vaughan, Hesson is playing the "politics" well, even if it doesn't represent a 200-plus-run template.
Presenting a sharp contrast, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi has launched a scathing attack on the management, Hesson in specific to shift Babar away from his natural opening slot. "Lala" believes that the confusion created by Hesson’s "unusual batting tactics" has shattered the confidence of Pakistan's most consistent performer.
Afridi’s primary grievance is the continued backing of Saim Ayub despite repeated failures, while a senior like Babar is forced into an unfamiliar No. 4 role. "He had a senior option who is not ideally a player to play at No. 4. You have lost matches, so you should make him swap to his natural role at the top," Afridi opined.
He warned that Hesson is "ruining" Babar’s T20I career by forcing him to adapt to a role that doesn't fit his DNA, especially when other options like Fakhar Zaman are also being underutilised in the middle order.
