Babar Azam, once considered one of the top batters in world cricket, has faced a tough few years. Struggling to score consistently in all formats, his disappointing performances, especially in ICC tournaments, have led to significant criticism from both fans and experts.
Despite this, Karachi Kings owner Salman Iqbal has backed Babar for a strong comeback, even suggesting that he could surpass Virat Kohli’s legacy and eventually be mentioned alongside cricketing legends like Sir Viv Richards and Sir Garfield Sobers.
Salman Iqbal’s Bold Prediction for Babar Azam’s Future
In an appearance on the ARY Podcast, Iqbal made a bold statement about Babar’s potential. “I am telling you. Mark my words, when makes a comeback again, he will be a bigger player than any other player in the world, including Virat Kohli. He will be matched with names like Garry Sobers and Sir Viv Richards,” Iqbal said confidently.
He further praised Babar’s inherent class, emphasizing, “He has that class element. When someone has class…. Class is permanent, you can’t change that. Style is always permanent. He will come back…he will come back with a bang.”
Babar Azam’s Recent Struggles in PSL
Despite Iqbal’s optimism, Babar’s poor form continued in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL), where his leadership of Peshawar Zalmi has not yielded positive results. Since his blistering 151 against Nepal in 2023, Babar has failed to score a century for Pakistan. His recent performances in PSL have mirrored his struggles, and Zalmi have suffered two heavy defeats under his captaincy.
Babar’s individual form is becoming a growing concern. In their recent 102-run loss to Islamabad United, he failed to perform, adding to the team’s troubles. His poor performance has led to increasing calls for him to step down from captaincy to focus on his batting.
Basit Ali Suggests Babar Learn from Virat Kohli’s Leadership Example
Amid these struggles, former cricketer Basit Ali has urged Babar to take a page from Virat Kohli’s book. Ali criticized Babar’s captaincy and suggested he drop it to focus on improving his batting. “Babar should leave captaincy and focus on his cricket. While chasing a 240-plus target, he gave away a catch to slip and got out. He is not focused. Zalmi management should remove him from captaincy and play him as a batter. He is harming himself,” Ali said on his YouTube channel.
He further highlighted Kohli’s decision to step away from the T20I captaincy and not lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL as a smart move. “I will give the example of Virat Kohli. He retired from T20Is, and he is not even the captain of RCB. If you follow him, then learn something from him. You should play as a batter,” Ali added.