Former batsman Imran Nazir has leapt in defence of Babar Azam and hailed him as the best player in the world. The Pakistan batting star has faced severe criticism in recent months for his failure to do well with the bat, especially in pressure situations.
The criticism began when he failed to lead his team from the front in the Asia Cup. The Men in Green crashed out at the Super 4 stage despite being the favourites to win the competition. The criticism only increased when he as well as his team struggled to do well in the ODI World Cup. Pakistan bowed out of the World Cup at the league stage with just 4 wins from 9 games.
Babar Azam scored 320 runs in 9 games at an average of 40 and a strike rate of just over 80. Soon after the World Cup ended, he stepped down as the captain in all three formats and was replaced by Shaheen Afridi and Shan Masood as the T20I and Test captains respectively.
Imran Nazir defends Babar Azam:
While it was expected that Babar Azam would do well after being relieved of the captaincy, he failed to impress in Australia as well. The right-handed batsman struggled throughout the three-match series, scoring just 126 runs in 6 innings as Australia clean-swept the series. He finally regained his form by scoring three T20I half-centuries in a row against New Zealand although Pakistan lost all those games.
With Babar Azam grabbing the spotlight for all the wrong reasons in recent times, Imran Nazir has come out in his support. The former Pakistan batsman stated that those who are criticising Babar do not understand cricket as he heaped praise on the batsman.
“For those who criticize Babar Azam, I would say, at least understand cricket first. He is the world’s best player, and I believe that in Pakistan, Babar is the player who, in terms of technique, as a cricketer, and as a personality embodies what it means to be a cricketer.
“A team doesn’t rely solely on one player; there are 10 other players who also contribute. He is doing his part; what about the rest?” Imran Nazir was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“They say teamwork, how a team works together, and it’s not just one player’s teamwork. When the entire team is not doing anything, you can’t blame Babar as much as you want by lifting him, but now I also see that everyone is behind him, why don’t you say anything to the other players? He is making Pakistan proud, the rest of the world praises him, considers him a player, but here we sideline him and bring someone else in,” he added.
Babar is currently busy playing in the Bangladesh Premier League. He is plying his trade for Rangpur Riders and has registered scores of 56*, 2, 62, 37 and 46. He will soon be seen in action in the forthcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League.
