Many had picked Babar Azam to be the best batter of World Cup 2023. But neither Babar or Pakistan had a great tournament. And soon, Pakistan triggered another overhaul while Babar stepped down from captaincy across all formats. But that could be a blessing in disguise as former England captain has picked Babar Azam as the one to watch out for in 2024 besides Virat Kohli.
Babar Azam hasn’t had the best run across formats in 2023. And his struggles in Australia too have been well documented. But 2024 brings might as well bring about a change.
“Babar Azam. I think it is a massive year for him and Pakistan. He has given up captaincy, that may be the weight off his shoulders. The biggest thing he can do for Pakistan cricket is get shed load of runs. They need him to get runs,” Nasser Hussain said in an ICC podcast.
Pakistan have a packed calendar as well. While they begin 2024 with the AUS vs PAK Sydney Test, they then travel to New Zealand.
At home, they face West Indies, England and Bangladesh apart from South Africa tour. But all eyes will be on T20 World Cup 2024. The finalist of last edition, Pakistan are under pressure as they are also enduring a trophy drought.
And Babar Azam, who has been criticised for his sluggish batting approach in T20s like Virat Kohli, faces a challenge. He will need to deliver with the willow now that he has stepped down from captaincy. He does not have the captain’s immunity anymore.
“There will be a T20 World Cup in the Caribbean. They got to the finals last time. They will need their ex-skipper to put in a real performance,” Nasser Hussain said.
Babar Azam in 2023
| Format | Inn | Runs | Avg | SR | 50/100 |
| Test | 9 | 204 | 22.66 | N/A | 0/0 |
| ODI | 24 | 1065 | 46.30 | 84.65 | 10/2 |
| T20I | 4 | 130 | 43.33 | 146.06 | 0/1 |
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