Babar Azam’s father Archives

Former Pakistan cricketer takes a dig at Babar Azam’s father over ‘coaching’ claims

Former cricketer Basit Ali has taken a dig at Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, questioning his cricketing credentials and sarcastically suggesting that if he considers himself Babar’s coach, he should focus on fixing his son’s technical flaws.

Basit’s comments came in response to Siddique’s recent Instagram post, where he defended his son following his exclusion from Pakistan’s T20I squad for the New Zealand series.

In his post, Siddique not only backed his son but also issued a strong warning to former cricketers, urging them to choose their words carefully when criticizing.

“To the great former cricketers, I humbly request you to be mindful of your words. If someone chooses to respond, you might not be able to handle it. You are part of the past, and there is no way back for you,” Siddique wrote.

Addressing those who claim that Babar’s father speaks too much, Siddique didn’t hold back. “For those who say that ‘his father talks too much,’ let me make it clear—I was his first and only coach, spokesperson, mentor, and above all, his father,” he added.

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He further advised cricket fans to check the playing records of Babar’s critics before taking their words seriously, urging them to visit the PCB website to analyze their performances.

Responding to these remarks on ARY’s show Har Lamha Purjosh, Basit Ali mockingly questioned Siddique’s authority in coaching Babar.

“We didn’t know Babar Azam’s coach is his father [Azam Siddique]. That’s great! He must have played a lot of cricket, then. Not sure how many Test matches he played, but I request him to fix Babar’s technical flaws,” Basit remarked in a taunting tone.

Meanwhile, former wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal also weighed in on the matter, stating that while every father has the right to support his son, making public statements after a player is dropped is not a good practice.

“Every father loves his son. Some openly express it, while others leave it to fate. There’s no doubt about Babar’s contributions to Pakistan cricket, but he must evolve with modern-day demands. However, posting statements after a player is dropped is unnecessary,” Akmal said.

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Babar Azam’s father addresses fans amid his son’s recent struggles

Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, has addressed the fans in light of his son’s recent challenges and has given his assurance that Babar will make a strong comeback in the near future.

Azam Siddique’s reaction came after Pakistan thumped England by 152 runs in the second Test, registering their first victory at home in Test cricket since their win against South Africa back in February 2021.

Ahead of the aforementioned fixture, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made four surprising changes, including dropping their star batter Babar Azam, who has not crossed the fifty-run barrier in the format since December 2022.

Consistent domestic performer Kamran Ghulam, who came in as Babar’s replacement, smashed a well-crafted century on debut, pivotal in guiding Pakistan to a formidable total in the first innings.

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Ghulam’s century made things worse for Babar as social media trolls targetted the latter, claiming that the national team eventually won at home after he was dropped.

Following the social media campaign against his son, Azam Siddique took to his Instagram account and clarified that his son was not dropped but rested to freshen up ahead of the upcoming white-ball series against Australia.

He also expressed confidence and assured fans that Babar will make a resounding comeback in the near future.

“I have no complaints against friends nor any grievances with the world. Insha’Allah (God willing), you will soon see Babar [Azam] playing in front of you,” the star batter’s father posted.

“PCB has given him rest to rejuvenate. We are content with the will of Allah, as we were and always will be. Long live Pakistan.”

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A post shared by M.Azam Siddique (@azam_siddique_65)

It’s worth noting that Babar will not be part of the lineup for the upcoming third and series-deciding Test in Rawalpindi, which will be played from 24-28 October.

However, he is likely to return to the team for the six-match white-ball series in Australia, which will embark with the ODI series on 4 November.

The iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) will host the series opener, while the subsequent matches are scheduled on November 8 and 10 in Adelaide and Perth, respectively.

The ODI series will be followed by a three-match T20I series, scheduled to commence on November 14.

Schedule of Pakistan’s white-ball tour to Australia

Pakistan vs Australia ODI series schedule:

November 4: First ODI at MCG, Melbourne
November 8: Second ODI at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
November 10: Third ODI at Perth Stadium, Perth

Pakistan vs Australia T20I series schedule:

November 14: First T20I at The Gabba, Brisbane
November 16: Second T20I at SCG, Sydney
November 18: Third T20I at Bellerive Oval, Hobart

READ: New Zealand end 36-year wait by crushing India in first Test

Babar Azam’s father advises him to respect Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir

Azam Siddiqui, the father of Babar Azam, advised his son to show respect to Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim upon becoming captain of the Pakistan cricket team.

Amir and Wasim recently came out of international retirement and made themselves available for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024.

The tournament is scheduled to be played in the West Indies and the United States of America in June.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday reinstated Babar Azam as the white-ball captain of the national team.

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Babar Azam’s father took to his Instagram account and expressed his excitement over his son’s reappointment as captain.

“The most important thing is that the people of the authority gave honour and respect again,” posted Azam Siddiqui.

He advised the right-hand batter to respect Wasim and Amir due to their seniority and let bygones be bygones.

“Now there are echoes that the team will not be united but I have said to Babar to forget the past. [Mohammad] Amir and Imad [Wasim] are older than and senior to you, meet them with respect and honour their opinion,” he added.

“I have also told Babar to treat everybody in the team like brothers. As all the eleven brothers will conquer the world with unity,” he concluded.

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A post shared by M.Azam Siddique (@azam_siddique_65)

The first assignment of Babar Azam during his second tenure will be a five-match home T20I series against New Zealand, commencing on April 18 in Rawalpindi.

The star batter had previously led Pakistan in white-ball cricket from 2019 to 2023 before stepping down following the team’s dismal performance in the ICC World Cup 2023.

After his resignation, PCB appointed Shan Masood as Test captain, while Shaheen Afridi was handed responsibility to lead the T20I side.

Afridi had an unwanted start to his captaincy reign, which started with a five-match away series loss against New Zealand in January this year.

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