T20 World Cup 2026: 'They have very few pure batters' - Irfan Pathan on Pakistan's squad ahead of India clash

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has delivered a candid assessment of Pakistan’s squad composition ahead of the high-voltage India vs Pakistan clash in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, pointing out structural weaknesses that India could look to exploit.

Pathan highlighted that while Pakistan possess several all-rounders, they lack enough specialist batters to provide solidity through the middle overs. According to him, this imbalance could work in India’s favour, especially if the Men in Blue manage to strike early with the ball. The marquee contest is scheduled to be played on Sunday, February 15, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Pathan explained that Pakistan’s middle-overs batting remains a concern and suggested that early breakthroughs, particularly the wicket of Babar Azam, could expose the rest of the lineup to India’s spinners. He believes India’s bowling attack, if deployed smartly, can control the tempo and restrict Pakistan from rebuilding momentum.

“I don't think they are that strong in the middle overs; if we manage to take a few early wickets, they have a lot of all-rounders and very few pure batters, so this could work to India’s advantage. If India manages to pick up a couple of early breakthroughs, then our spinners can squeeze their main batters, especially Babar Azam, in the middle overs. After that, they do not really have too many strong options," Pathan spoke on his YouTube channel.

Pathan further elaborated on Pakistan’s batting structure, noting that depth does not necessarily translate into reliability. He stressed that India could use multiple spin options to choke Pakistan during the middle phase, particularly on Sri Lankan surfaces that traditionally assist turn.

“They do not have the same quality in pure batting that you would ideally want, because if four or five of your players are pure batters and the rest are all-rounders, you may have batting depth, but not necessarily great solidity. From Pakistan’s perspective, this is an area the Indian team can definitely target. That is why, if India plays three spinners, you have around 12 overs of spin to choke them in the middle phase. On top of that, you can also use Abhishek Sharma as a bowling option, and even Tilak can chip in with the ball,” he added.

Meanwhile, Pakistan have enjoyed a strong start to their T20 World Cup campaign, remaining unbeaten so far with a three-wicket win over the Netherlands and a commanding 32-run victory against the USA.

Pathan also turned his attention to Pakistan’s bowling, singling out Shaheen Afridi’s recent struggles with execution, particularly in the death overs. Across Pakistan’s first two matches, Afridi has managed wickets at an average of 35.00, with a strike rate of 21.00 and an economy of 10.00. He suggested that India’s batters could capitalise if those issues persist.

“From what we have seen of Shaheen's bowling, his yorkers are not quite hitting the mark, and that zip we used to see earlier is missing. With the new ball, the sharp inswing that was once very noticeable is not as prominent now. His shoulder is opening up a bit more as well. The Indian team can take advantage of that. Of course, Sri Lankan conditions do assist bowlers, so that could be a different factor," he concluded.