‘King Babar’, ‘Better than Virat Kohli’, ‘Best batter of this generation’ and what all! Pakistani fans don’t spare a chance to hype up Babar Azam. While there is no question about Babar’s exceptional talent, he still has a lot to prove in order to achieve the greatness that his fans feel he has already attained. In fact, his recent numbers show that the he has hit a roadblock, that too, batting on the ‘roads’ of Pakistan.
Babar Azam & Horrible WTC 2023-25
Pakistan have been stumbling in this World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-2025 cycle. Not that they weren’t in the previous two cycles as well but the Men in Green are currently languishing second from bottom. While they started off with a 2-0 series win away from home against Sri Lanka, Pakistan have lost all their last 4 games. And Babar Azam, unfortunately, has not performed in any of them. In fact, in the ongoing cycle, he has scored 224 runs at a shabby average 20.36. As many as six Pakistani batters have mustered more runs than him in this period.
No 50 in this WTC cycle
How bewildering is to know the fact that Babar has NOT scored a single fifty in this ongoing WTC cycle. Wow! The former Pakistan red-ball captain, who is known for his consistency is in a lull period and has not helped his side a single bit. In the two games against Sri Lanka, he made 76 runs at an average of 25.33. Then there was a four-month gap until the next Test series.
However, a lot of things transpired in between. Pakistan failed to qualify for Asia Cup final, had a horrible ODI World Cup 2023 in India and following all this, Babar resigned as Pakistan skipper from all formats of the game. Shan Masood succeeded Babar and then came a tricky Test tour to Australia.
First it was a bouncy Perth surface, where Babar managed to score 21 & 14 before adding 42 runs across both innings of the next Test at MCG. 26 & 23 is all he scored in a lop-sided Sydney Test. All in all, Babar scored 126 runs at an average of 21.00. On that tour, the likes of Amer Jamal, Mohammad Rizwan, and Salman Ali Agha all scored more runs than Babar, who just didn’t apply himself and lacked any sort of authority.
Bangladesh stun Pakistan
Test cricket returned to Pakistan after more than 16 months. While the preparations for the ICC Champions Trophy are ongoing in one part of the country, Rawalpindi hosted Bangladesh for the first Test, and under new red-ball coach Jason Gillespie, a new ray of hope emerged. However, the same old story has once again popped up. And guess what Babar Azam did? Absolute nothing!
Day 1 saw Babar hand a catch down the leg to Litton Das, who, mind you, took a fantastic grab. It was a silver duck for Babar, who had played his glance with no conviction at all. Although that dismissal would’ve surely sting Babar, he could have done nothing but just to applause the marathon innings put up by Saud Shakeel (141) and Mohammad Rizwan (191). Another opportunity came and this time the situation was worse. Pakistan were in all kinds of trouble as Bangladesh began Day 5 by sending back Masood.
Babar had an arduous task of taking the game time deep and save his country from another defeat in a home Test. However, a 50-ball 22 is all he mustered before getting out in a rather frustrating manner. A 5th stump ball by pacer Nihad Rana and the 29-year-old didn’t get to the pitch of the ball. He dragged that one onto his stumps, leaving Pakistan stumbling for 66/3. Bangladesh got their noses in front and recorded an unprecedented triumph – their first against Pakistan in Tests.
Babar in same league as ‘Fab 4’?
Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson – the original fab four of cricket. All four have dominated world cricket and have mustered runs everywhere they have played. While all of them had their period of lull as well and no doubt Babar is having the same as well. However, fans have put unnecessary on Babar.
The pressure on Babar is real, and these constant comparisons to the ‘Fab Four’ aren’t helping. Those guys have been consistently amazing for years, earning their places among the greats. In fact, two of them have already lifted the World Test Championship title and one literally has a massive potential to overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 15,921 runs. Babar’s still finding his feet in Test cricket, and Pakistani fans need to chill with the expectations.
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