Babar Azam has been grappling with poor form, and it has been more than two years since the Pakistan batter last scored an international century.
Gone are the days when Babar Azam used to dominate the ICC Rankings across formats, and his poor run has resulted in poor results for the national team. Former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas believes Babar Azam must shed his ego and consult seniors to regain his mojo.
Babar’s poor form continues in the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In the two matches he has played so far, he has registered just one run.
Pakistan’s performances in international cricket have also left much to be desired. Recently, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side were whitewashed in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand. Pakistan had also failed to make it to the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy after crashing out of the group stage.
Babar Azam was recently left out of Pakistan’s T20I squad for the five-match series against the Kiwis, which the side eventually lost 1-4.
Zaheer Abbas cited an example of former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin seeking him out for help while advocating the need for Babar to seek advice from seniors.
While speaking to Cricket Pakistan, Zaheer Abbas said, “I have this impression that either Babar has an ego issue or is too shy to seek advice from his seniors in overcoming his current situation.”
“I vividly recall how former Indian batsman Azharuddin had sought guidance from me on India’s tour to Pakistan in 1989-90. He was struggling to find runs and I told him to change his batting grip. That really helped him regain confidence and improve his performance,” he added.
‘He is not finding time’
The former Pakistan captain believes Babar Azam is having difficulty adjusting to the pace of the ball because of his stance at the crease.
“I have noticed that Babar’s dismissals of late have had him hurriedly going into his shots, which clearly shows he is not finding time to adjust at the crease,” said Zaheer Abbas.
Earlier, Salman Iqbal, the owner of Karachi Kings, dropped a bombshell, claiming Babar Azam refused to bat at No.3, which was the main reason the franchise let him go in the PSL.
“We wanted him to bat at number three, but he was not ready to change his role. The management decided to have a complete overhaul of the squad. That’s why we let Babar, Imad Wasim, and Mohammad Amir go,” he told ARY News.
Babar Azam represented Karachi Kings for six years between 2017 and 2022. He was the key member of the title-winning squad in 2020.
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