Tag: Babar Azam

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has compared under-performing batter Babar Azam to legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar, citing highlighting similarities in their batting technique.

Rashid talked about Babar’s recent struggles and stated that players like him and Sachin can regain form quicker due to them being technically sound.

“It becomes really difficult for our players to come out of the poor form if there is some issue with their technique. I have seen many players going through a form slump, including Sachin Tendulkar,” said Rashid Latif.

“But since Sachin had a sound and good batting technique, he never took time to overcome the patchy form.”

The ex-wicketkeeper also mentioned that, unlike Sachin, Virender Sehwag took a longer time to regain form due to his inferior technique.

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“On the other hand, players like Virender Sehwag used to take more time to come out of a lean patch. This is the difference between a better player and a comparatively less skilled player,” the former captain added.

Rashid Latif then highlighted the ongoing issues in Babar’s technique, which led to his prolonged batting slump.

“Talking about Babar Azam, he was a skilled player, but in the face of a lean patch, he started charging the ball harder, which made his shot selection really tough,” he said.

“He never gets played on; he always gets troubled tinkering with the ball going away from him. He is literally failing to decide which ball to hit or leave. The entire problem in his batting lies here only,” he further added.

READ: Former chief selector opens up on dealing with ‘stubborn’ Babar Azam

Former Pakistan batter Mohammad Wasim has recently opened up about his tensions with white-ball captain Babar Azam during his tenure as the chief selector.

During an interview with a local sports platform, Mohammad Wasim labelled Babar Azam as “very stubborn” for his resistance to the selection committee’s decisions.

“It was painful to make him understand the advantages of changes. He was very stubborn, and I overstepped my limitations to get him on board with certain calls. He was not ready to accept changes,” Wasim revealed.

The former opening batter also highlighted the issues of all-rounder Imad Wasim, who according to Wasim hid his knee injury from the management.

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“Imad has a knee injury, but he has been hiding it for years. We always speak about Azam Khan’s fitness levels, but Imad is also suffering from the same problem,” he added.

“He was dropped from the side for that same reason, and I also dropped him during my tenure so that he could work on his fitness.”

Mohammad Wasim made a shocking revelation, indicating that there is a specific group of players whose negative impact on the national team is similar to that of cancer, and is harming the team’s ability to succeed.

“I will not take names, but four coaches said that a group of players is cancer to the team. If they are part of the squad, Pakistan can’t win. I tried to remove them from the team, but the team management recalled them,” he concluded.

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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has identified the two key reasons behind the ongoing struggles of star batter Babar Azam.

Babar has been going through a rough patch, having scored 53 runs across three innings in the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh.

Salman Butt, during an interview with a local sports channel, pointed out the reasons behind the criticism of Babar.

“There are two reasons (why Babar is facing so much heat). No doubt, he is currently Pakistan’s best batter and, I think, the most consistent player of the decade,” said Salman.

“But the problem is that when a player struggled earlier, they were more out of form than Babar.

“There were 4-5 other players who used to win matches, so everyone’s respect used to be saved and it was covered.

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“Now the problem is that Babar has scored so much, then he is the only one who scores most of the runs for Pakistan. There is no one with him who can match him.”

Salman Butt further stressed the importance of Babar Azam as the most important player on the team, stating that the whole batting lineup comes under pressure when he fails.

“You can see, the day he doesn’t run, you know that the Pakistan team will not win the match,” he added.

He also highlighted the management’s flaw in not developing technically sound batters and focusing more on the power-hitting ability of the batters.

“So, this is the problem of Pakistan that you did not develop the players. You tried to develop everyone on the basis of power-hitting, the basis of playing openly. And now you don’t have players with the right techniques,” he concluded.

READ: Joe Root opens up on the prospect of breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja offered a piece of advice to star batter Babar Azam, who is going through a rough patch with the bat, particularly in Test cricket.

Babar has thus far managed to score 250 runs in seven matches of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 at a dismal average of 22.72 and the highest score of just 41.

He bagged a two-ball duck in the first innings of the home series opener against Bangladesh while managing just 22 in the second innings as Pakistan succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat.

Meanwhile, former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja, speaking on his YouTube channel, Ramiz Speaks, defended under-fire Babar Azam, stating that the star batter receives severe criticism with each of the national team’s defeats.

“It seems the entire nation does not have a problem with anything except the form of Babar Azam. Unfortunately, what happens is when you lose a match and you have not scored runs and if you are Babar Azam, then you become a headline – How did we lose? What did he do? What was his contribution? And then this is the era of social media. Anybody can criticise and ridicule anyone, this should be discouraged as much as possible,” said Raja.

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“Cricket is in our blood but don’t know for how long if we continue to lose matches like this in Test cricket. Fan following increases with wins and fans identify themselves with success stories. Babar Azam has had a famous success story. There is no doubt that he has been a big player in all three formats,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Babar Azam finished as the fourth-highest run-scorer in the previous cycle of the WTC with 1527 in 14 matches.

However, in the ongoing edition, the star batter is ranked 48th, behind some of the bowlers and bowling all-rounders like Chris Woakes, Jason Holder, Pat Cummins, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Ravindra Jadeja.

READ: Mohammad Amir fails to defend 16 runs in the final over

DUBAI: Pakistan batter Babar Azam experienced a significant drop in his position, while wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan witnessed a substantial rise in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

Pakistan suffered their first-ever defeat against Bangladesh in Tests when they succumbed to a 10-wicket defeat in the opening Test of the two-match series. The recent defeat has led to a drop in the ICC Test rankings for the players of Pakistan.

Babar Azam has been out of form lately and gave a forgettable performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, returning with scores of 0 and 22.

The star batter dropped a massive six positions, falling from third to ninth with 734 points, only six points shy of fellow countryman Mohammad Rizwan.

The wicketkeeper batter, on the other hand, enjoyed a substantial surge in the ICC Test Rankings, thanks to his scores of 171 not out and 51.

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Rizwan’s impressive performance has propelled him up seven spots to achieve his career-high ranking, securing a spot in the top 10 for the first time. He is ranked joint-tenth alongside Australia’s Usman Khawaja with 728 rating points.

Pakistan vice-captain Saud Shakeel played a 141-run knock in the first innings before falling for a duck in the second innings, resulting in his one-spot rise to 13th.

Meanwhile, pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi dropped two places to tenth after a below-par performance in the first Test against Bangladesh, returning with figures of 2-88 in the first innings.

Opening batter Abdullah Shafique also sunk three places to 34th after scoring a total of 39 runs across both innings of the Rawalpindi Test.

On the other hand, Bangladesh’s Mushfiqur Rahim climbed seven places to reach his career-best 17th, courtesy of his stellar 191-run knock.

READ: Abrar Ahmed joins Pakistan squad for second Bangladesh Test

Bangladesh pace bowling coach, Andre Adams, has warned his team about the threat posed by Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan ahead of the upcoming second Test match in Rawalpindi.

The second Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh is scheduled to start on 30 August at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

In the first match of the two-match series, Bangladesh made history by securing their maiden Test victory against Pakistan.

The hosts after being put into bat first, accumulated 448/6 and declared their first innings in the dying minutes of the second day.

Bangladesh, in response, piled up a mammoth total of 565, courtesy of Mushfiqur Rahim’s marathon 191-run knock, before bundling out in the third session of the fourth day.

The first Test was assumed to be heading towards a draw but Pakistan’s batting lineup faltered against Bangladesh’s spinners on the final day and could score 146, setting the visitors a meagre 30-run target.

During an interview with The Daily Star, Andre Adams shared insights about the approach for the upcoming second Test.

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He highlighted the significance of maintaining patience while playing Test cricket in Pakistan’s conditions.

“I don’t know what sort of wicket we will get for the second Test. I don’t know how much the plan will change. This is a country where you have to be patient in Test matches,” the Bangladesh coach stated.

“I don’t see the plans changing too much from the blueprint of the previous game. The plans could change if they (Pakistan) change their playing XI.”

Adams was questioned about Bangladesh’s specific strategy for Pakistan’s batters. While he chose not to disclose the team’s plan, he did speak highly of Babar and Rizwan, recognizing the challenge they present.

“I can’t share the plan (laughs). Obviously, Babar [Azam] is a great player and you have to be clear about what you want to do to get him out early,” said Adams.

“You have to pay attention to guys like Babar and (Mohammad) Rizwan, who can take the game away from you.”

It’s worth noting that Babar had a forgettable first Test as he bagged a duck in the first innings, followed by a 22-run knock in the second innings.

Meanwhile, Rizwan showcased his exceptional batting skills by scoring a remarkable 171 runs in the first innings and then backing it up with a resilient half-century in the second innings.

READ: PCB announces free entry for students in the second Pakistan-Bangladesh Test

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam was dismissed for a duck for the first time on home soil on the opening day of the first Test between Pakistan and Bangladesh here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

Babar, one of the most consistent batters in world cricket, perished without disturbing the scoreboard.

Coming out to bat at No.4 with Pakistan reeling at 14/2, Babar faltered on a length delivery around his legs off Shoriful Islam to fall for a two-ball duck.

The Bangladesh pacer, ahead of the series, expressed his desire to dismiss Babar and termed him as a “dream wicket”.

“Babar is a tough challenge for Bangladesh. So, we have to take his wicket quickly. He is also my dream wicket. I will be very happy if I can get his wicket. I played with him last year in the CPL. He is a very good person,” Shoriful had said.

Prior to the ongoing fixture, Babar had played 24 innings in 14 Tests at home and did not get out on a duck.

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The last time Babar Azam bagged a duck in a Test match was three years ago. Overall, he has been dismissed for a duck eight times in the longest format with seven of them coming in away matches.

Following Babar Azam’s dismissal, Saud Shakeel and Saim Ayub spearheaded Pakistan’s fightback as the duo added 98 runs for the fourth wicket to pull the home side out of trouble.

Bangladesh hit back late in the day with the prized scalp of Saim Ayub, who made 56, but Mohammad Rizwan settled down quickly and raised an unbeaten 44-run partnership with Saud to keep Pakistan afloat.

Saud, unbeaten on 57, while Rizwan, 24 not out, will resume Pakistan’s first innings at 158/4 on the second Test of the ongoing first Test.

Playing XIs

Pakistan: Abdullah Shafique, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood (c), Babar Azam, Saud Shakeel, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shehzad, Mohammad Ali.

Bangladesh: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Shadman Islam, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Kumer Das, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Shoriful Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana.

READ: Saud Shakeel equals major record by a Pakistan batter in Tests

Pakistan star batter Babar Azam is on the verge of achieving a significant milestone, during the Test series against Bangladesh, that would place him alongside Indian batting stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Babar has scored over 4000 runs in ODI and T20I cricket, however in Test cricket he has so far scored 3898 runs.

He needs only 102 runs to become the first Pakistan and third overall to achieve the elusive milestone of scoring 4000 runs in all three formats of the game.

Prior to him, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have achieved this feat, with the former being the first one to do so.

Virat reached the milestone during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal against England. In his 16-year-long career, he has scored 8848 runs in Test matches, 13906 runs in ODIs, and 4188 runs in T20Is.

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Meanwhile, Rohit achieved the feat during the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2024. He has amassed 4137 runs in 59 Tests, 10,866 runs in 265 ODIs and 4231 runs in 159 T20Is.

It is worth noting that Virat and Rohit both retired from T20Is after leading India to World Cup glory in June.

Babar Azam, on the other hand, has been a prolific run-scorer for the country since making his international debut in 2015. He has scored 5729 runs in 117 ODIs at an average of 56.72 and 4145 runs in 123 T20Is at 41.03.

Babar was set to take the field for Pakistan in the first Test against Bangladesh this morning, however, the toss has been delayed due to a wet outfield in Rawalpindi.

The umpires found wet patches in the outfield of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium due to overnight rain.

READ: Bangladesh cricket chief resigns amid Pakistan tour

Pakistan’s ace batter Babar Azam is on the verge of a major World Test Championship (WTC) milestone during the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, scheduled to commence on August 21.

Babar, one of the most consistent batters across formats in the world currently, is just 339 runs away from joining an elusive list of batters, having breached the 3000-run barrier in WTC history.

The right-handed batter has thus far scored 2,661 runs in WTC, the most by a Pakistani batter. He, however, could become the fifth batter to score 3000 runs in the WTC history to amass the milestone.

England’s Joe Root leads the way with 4,598 WTC runs, followed by Australia’s Marnus Labuschagne with 3,904.

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The four batters, who have breached the 3000-run barrier are either from Australia or England as the two cricketing nations play the most number of Tests.

Meanwhile, if Babar Azam manages to score 339 runs in the two-match series against Bangladesh, he will become the first Asian batter to amass 3000 WTC runs as he is ahead of India’s senior batting duo of Rohit Sharma (2,552) and Virat Kohli (2,235).

The Test series will commence in Rawalpindi, with the first Test scheduled to begin on 21 August. Following that, the action will shift to the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, where the second Test match will be held from 30 August to 3 September.

Pakistan squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Frustrated Babar kicks stumps after being dismissed during practice

Pakistan’s ace batter Babar Azam on Saturday, kicked the stumps after being dismissed in the net session for the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh, starting from August 21.

In a video that went viral on social media, Babar can be seen visibly frustrated after being dismissed by a net bowler.

The right-arm pacer bowled a shorter delivery wide outside off. Babar tried to reach the ball but only managed to edge it behind, prompting a celebration from the bowler, who raised his hands during his follow-through.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam lost his cool as he turned back and kicked the off-stump, which went for a cartwheel.

However, the star batter picked up the stump and put it in its place and continued to practice.

 

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Earlier, Babar was seen having a hard time facing the Test pacer Khurram Shahzad during a practice session ahead of the Bangladesh series.

During a recent training session in Pakistan, a video captured the moment when Babar Azam was hit in the groin by Khurram Shahzad’s delivery.

The star batter appeared to be in some discomfort as Khurram reached out to him, asking if he was fine. After taking a moment to recover and performing some stretches, Babar returned to his practice.

However, Khurram subsequently bowled an unplayable delivery that Babar failed to make contact with, resulting in the ball striking his stumps.

Pakistan squad for first Test against Bangladesh: Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel, Aamir Jamal (subject to fitness), Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi.

READ: Pakistan set for rare feat after 28 years in Rawalpindi Test