PAK vs SL, 1st ODI: Pakistan star batter Babar Azam threw away a promising start by falling five short of a half-century in the first ODI of the tri-nation series against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi on October 18, Sunday. A video of the same surfaced on social media as the spectators’ cheers seemingly died down following the wicket.
PAK vs SL, 1st ODI: Babar Azam falls to the short-pitch ploy
The dismissal occurred in the 20th over of the innings as Eshan Malinga banged the ball on to the surface as the right-handed batter played the pull shot despite the ball being not quite there to hit. All he could do was spoon it to short mid-wicket and Pavan Rathnayake took a simple catch. The former Pakistan ODI captain had fallen to short-pitch deliveries at least twice during the Test series against England earlier this year. The 31-year-old must work on the shortcoming soon, given most of the World Cup will take place on the bouncy pitches of South Africa.
Dismissal on the short ball has been a problem for Babar Azam for quite some time now. These are concerning signs for him and Pakistan. – With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, where teams are gonna target him with short balls, Babar needs to address this weakness as soon as possible.
— Rayham. (@RayhamUnplugged) October 18, 2026
The wicket also meant that Sri Lanka had ended a promising 74-run stand between Babar and Saad Baig. Babar’s 57-ball stay had produced six sumptuous boundaries. Nevertheless, the home side are still on track for a good total and will need it, given the likeliness of dew in the evening.
PAK vs SL, 1st ODI: When did Babar Azam last score a 50-over international hundred?
The Lahore-born cricketer last made a hundred in an ODI in November 2025 in Rawalpindi itself and the opposition was Sri Lanka too. But Babar has struggled across formats, of late, to reach the triple-figure score.
Yet, 50-over cricket remains his strongest suit. Pakistan have also produced decent results in the format, especially since Shaheen Shah Afridi took over as captain. The 1992 World Cup-winners will look to maintain that consistency in the next one year and look to add their first ICC silverware since 2017.
The post WATCH VIDEO: Babar Azam Throws Away Promising Start, Falls To Short-Pitch Ploy In Pakistan vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI appeared first on NewsX.