Following the three-match Test series against Australia, Babar Azam, a cornerstone of Pakistan cricket, came under harsh scrutiny. Despite multiple attempts, he concluded the series without earning a single fifty. After scoring a mere 23 runs in the final Test’s second innings at the SCG on Friday (January 5), the critics got louder.
In the third session of Day 3, Pakistan dismissed Australia for 299 thanks to Aamer Jamal’s outstanding 6/69 performance. In the batting department, the hosts had respectable performances from Marnus Labuschagne (60), Mitchell Marsh (54), Usman Khawaja (47), Steve Smith (38), and Alex Carey (38).
In their second innings, the visitors immediately lost two early wickets. In an attempt to salvage the Pakistani innings, 23-year-old Babar Azam and 33-year-old Saim Yub combined for 57 runs.
But he left when up against part-timer Travis Head. In the latter stages of the day, Pakistan’s batting lineup fell apart like a house of cards, as the visitors took stumps at 68/7.
Azam tallied only 126 runs in his six-inning series, earning a poor average of 21. He scored 21, 14, 1, 41, 26, 23 in each round. His lower-than-expected performance in Australia left his fans baffled. Fun memes about his batting spread across social media, as devotees voiced their disappointment humorously.
Here are a few of them:
“The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar Azam to take a rest”- Mushtaq Ahmed
Babar Azam was recently encouraged by former Pakistani spinner Mushtaq Ahmed to take a break from cricket and revitalize himself in the middle of his run-chasing woes. He used Virat Kohli as an example, who took a little hiatus before to the Asia Cup of last year before storming back into the world of cricket.
Mushtaq stated to Cricket Pakistan:
“Across the world, we provide coaching, and when we realize a player is mentally disturbed, we give them a break of 2 or 3 matches. When Virat Kohli was out of form, he took a break, and since then, he hasn’t faced the same struggles. The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar Azam to take a rest. Babar has given outstanding performances, and he is our hero. He is considered one of the top players in the world.
Mushtaq Ahmed
He added:
“However, he faced challenges such as losing the Asia Cup, the World Cup, and subsequently losing the captaincy amid rumors and difficulties. Often in our culture, we fail to realize the need for breaks. If I were there, I would have suggested giving Babar some rest. Skip the three Test matches and focus on the upcoming series.”
Mushtaq Ahmed