“We requested Babar Azam to come in at number three however, he was keen to play an opener”: Salman Iqbal (Owner of Karachi Kings)

[BouncerGuy]

CEO of ARY Digital Network and Owner of Karachi Kings, Salman Iqbal speaking during a PODCAST:

“The initial selection for Babar Azam was based on his top form. When we selected Babar Azam, Mickey Arthur was our coach at the time, and he, too, was with Pakistan. Our issue was that Babar Azam used to bat at number three for Pakistan. We had established him as an opener. Our aim for our openers was to ensure that one end was always strong—never stalling—even if two wickets fell during the powerplay, so that our batting order would continue smoothly down the line.”

“Mickey and I decided that we would have Babar open, taking charge of one end. Babar had an excellent mindset; he was incredibly adept at striking the ball along the ground, and his cover drives were simply unbelievable.”

“During the powerplay, when the fielders were up, the gaps were plentiful, and Chris was out there hitting over the head—these were the kind of ground shots we valued. So, when we made our lineup heavily reliant on our top order, we requested Babar to come in at number three. However, he was keen to play an opener as he was established there and he wasn’t comfortable playing one-down.”

“After that, management decided that a complete overhaul of the team was necessary. In that process, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, and Babar Azam were released.”

 

[Rana]

“We wanted Babar to play for the team, but he wanted to play for himself”

 

[BouncerGuy]

“We wanted Babar to play for the team, but he wanted to play for himself”

You missed Imad and amir part also... they were released as well so they were creating issues as well... NO????

 

[Rana]

You missed Imad and amir part also... they were released as well so they were creating issues as well... NO????

Do I care?

 

[BouncerGuy]

Do I care?

You care about Babar only??? LOL

 

[Prince of Dorne]

 

[Rana]

You care about Babar only??? LOL

The headline of your thread is related to Babar Azam, the person who’s selfishness I believe has been detrimental to Pakistan cricket. I am concerned about that only.

 

[Kianig89]

As if KK are buzzing with success , they were yet to find a proper opener thus far Warner selected. Ironically Test Captain Shan Masood also part of KK and his preferred position is opener

 

[Rana]

As if KK are buzzing with success , they were yet to find a proper opener thus far Warner selected. Ironically Test Captain Shan Masood also part of KK and his preferred position is opener

They had proper openers in Sharjeel and Guptill but Babar insisted on being a nuisance. Do not try to distort the truth.

 

[Kianig89]

They had proper openers in Sharjeel and Guptill but Babar insisted on being a nuisance. Do not try to distort the truth.

Where are Sharjeel and Guptill now , its a fact KK has struggled since the inception of PSL

 

[zaidihusain]

CEO of ARY Digital Network and Owner of Karachi Kings, Salman Iqbal speaking during a PODCAST:

“The initial selection for Babar Azam was based on his top form. When we selected Babar Azam, Mickey Arthur was our coach at the time, and he, too, was with Pakistan. Our issue was that Babar Azam used to bat at number three for Pakistan. We had established him as an opener. Our aim for our openers was to ensure that one end was always strong—never stalling—even if two wickets fell during the powerplay, so that our batting order would continue smoothly down the line.”

“Mickey and I decided that we would have Babar open, taking charge of one end. Babar had an excellent mindset; he was incredibly adept at striking the ball along the ground, and his cover drives were simply unbelievable.”

“During the powerplay, when the fielders were up, the gaps were plentiful, and Chris was out there hitting over the head—these were the kind of ground shots we valued. So, when we made our lineup heavily reliant on our top order, we requested Babar to come in at number three. However, he was keen to play an opener as he was established there and he wasn’t comfortable playing one-down.”

“After that, management decided that a complete overhaul of the team was necessary. In that process, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, and Babar Azam were released.”

Same thing was told by Wasim Akram some years back but unfortunately, nobody in PCB or team management took this seriously. This kind of attitude of I, me & myself only doesn't work in professional sport and such players must be kept away from team. Just imagine somebody showing so much rigidness in a league cricket just to occupy opening spot despite enjoying all kind of fruits for 5-6 years. Babar's stardom is his biggest enemy, he has started considering himself bigger than the team

 

[Rana]

Where are Sharjeel and Guptill now , its a fact KK has struggled since the inception of PSL

KK were on the right track until Babar made it about himself in 2019/20 and was backstabbing those who supported him to become what he was. Babar is a backstabber as we have seen with what he did to Shaheen as well.

 

[Sachin fan]

Selfish

 

[Rana]

Selfish

A man who's greed has destroyed Pakistan cricket. Include the talented Mr Ripley Rizwan too who used Babar for his own benefit.

 

[BouncerGuy]

STAY ON TOPIC

 

[Rana]

“After that, management decided that a complete overhaul of the team was necessary. In that process, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, and Babar Azam were released.

There were all released together or in different years?

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

I would not have any issues with him insisting to open if he worked on enhancing his game. Sometimes franchises or other independent vloggers post practice content of him batting & any time it's him, he's always playing in the same manner even in the nets. Defensive prods & front foot blocks in between a few shots here & there. Warne might have said this about Panesar but it's true for every Pak player that they just play the same game as many times as they are allowed to play.

Get a golf ball, a heavy wicket, & get practicing with a wall to improve your reactions.
Spend an entire net session sweeping every ball even if you are out every time.

Add something in your game but nah, that stuff isn't for me, I'm just going to play forward defense in nets because I'm King Baabar

 

[Rana]

I would not have any issues with him insisting to open if he worked on enhancing his game. Sometimes franchises or other independent vloggers post practice content of him batting & any time it's him, he's always playing in the same manner even in the nets. Defensive prods & front foot blocks in between a few shots here & there. Warne might have said this about Panesar but it's true for every Pak player that they just play the same game as many times as they are allowed to play.

Get a golf ball, a heavy wicket, & get practicing with a wall to improve your reactions.
Spend an entire net session sweeping every ball even if you are out every time.

Add something in your game but nah, that stuff isn't for me, I'm just going to play forward defense in nets because I'm King Baabar

Exactly

He won’t change.

 

[CerebralPatriot]

What a pathetic, sad little man

People may not be the biggest fans of Aqib Javed but for the sole reason of putting Zimbu in his place, he will go down as our best coach within the last 5 years

This also shows just how much of a disaster Ramiz as chairman was. By empowering the two most pathetic cricketers, he transformed a potentially great team into one that should be relegated to division 4 cricket

 

[shaz619]

You missed Imad and amir part also... they were released as well so they were creating issues as well... NO????

Players move between franchises all the time it’s no biggy and he didn’t comment on why those players were released, he gave a pretty damning assessment of Babar Azam though. We need to be more alert here on what’s being communicated, but Pakistan fans are blind and deaf generally.

 

[shaz619]

I would not have any issues with him insisting to open if he worked on enhancing his game. Sometimes franchises or other independent vloggers post practice content of him batting & any time it's him, he's always playing in the same manner even in the nets. Defensive prods & front foot blocks in between a few shots here & there. Warne might have said this about Panesar but it's true for every Pak player that they just play the same game as many times as they are allowed to play.

Get a golf ball, a heavy wicket, & get practicing with a wall to improve your reactions.
Spend an entire net session sweeping every ball even if you are out every time.

Add something in your game but nah, that stuff isn't for me, I'm just going to play forward defense in nets because I'm King Baabar

It must be hard for Babar to experiment in the nets when Rizwan is rubbing the lube in a corner each time he middles a cover drive.

 

[Major]

KK is a failed franchise.

They took all the star players of Pakistan, and at the end had to give every single player of theirs away.

One major problem with KK is that they dont know how to run a franchise. Instead of trading their stars for proper assets they just let them go.

They had Babar Azam, Rizwan, Imad, Iftikhar Ahmad, Mohammad Haris, ALex Hales, Blessing Muzrabani.

These were all high value assets, even if you wanted to move them, they should had been traded for good assets. They either let the players go or traded for garbage.

Like you had the national captain of Pakistan, you could had traded him for atleast 2 assets.

Anyways its a run down team, and they deserve what is happening to them.

Point is, issue wasnt Babar. Babar was scoring runs as an opener, issue was with this franchise. They were making one stupid decision after another. Now when Babar is out of form they are coming out with this bs, but you need to understand the context. When babar was playing for them and performing, he was scoring runs.

And Babar was the one who requested to be moved, not KK lol.

 

[Ball Blazer]

PSL 10: Rashid Latif opens up on Babar Azam's exit from Karachi Kings

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has shed light on the behind-the-scenes saga that culminated in Babar Azam’s high-profile exit from Karachi Kings before the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2023 edition.

During a recent interview on a local YouTube platform, Latif revealed that Karachi Kings had already made the decision to part ways with Babar before the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup.

He clarified that the move was not solely driven by Babar’s form or performance but was part of the franchise's long-term planning and internal strategy.

“KK had already planned to release Babar Azam, but when Pakistan qualified for the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 under his captaincy, they contacted him again,” said Latif.

“But Babar had already made up his mind to leave and move on,” he added.

The former wicketkeeper's comments add new dimensions to a separation that has recently been revisited, following remarks from Karachi Kings’ owner, Salman Iqbal.

In a candid interview, Iqbal revealed that the franchise’s decision was influenced by a disagreement over Babar’s preferred batting position.

"We wanted him to bat at number three," Iqbal explained. "But he was unwilling to change his role, which ultimately led to his release."

It is pertinent to mention that the 30-year-old has always been an opening batsman throughout his T20 career, both in international cricket and the PSL.

Out of 90 PSL innings, Babar has opened in 76 of them, scoring 3,103 runs in 78 matches at an impressive average of 47.01 and a strike rate of 129.13. His record includes 28 half-centuries and two centuries.

However, in the ongoing PSL 10 season, Babar has continued to struggle in his opening role. He was dismissed for a duck in the opening match against Quetta Gladiators and managed only one run in the following game against Islamabad United.

Despite his generally consistent track record, Babar has recently faced scrutiny for a dip in form. Since his 151-run knock against Nepal in August 2023, he has failed to score a century in any format.

He was also assigned opening duties alongside Fakhar Zaman during the tri-nation ODI series featuring New Zealand and South Africa but failed to impress, managing scores of 10, 23, and 29.

Despite these struggles, the team management continued to back Babar as an opener in the recently concluded ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

However, Babar’s impact remained limited, with scores of 64 against New Zealand and 23 against India during the group stage.

Source: https://www.geosuper.tv/latest/4328...ens-up-on-babar-azams-exit-from-karachi-kings

 

[Major]

Like you are whining about Babar Azam as an opener, than replace him with Shan Masood......

Point is, KK has sucked and they are trying to pin all the blame on Babar for not batting at 1 down. Pathetic stuff from Salman Iqbal. He is just being an opportunistic here and knows since Babar is being bashed by everyone, so he is putting his own lack of success in KK on Babar

 

[zarak]

Like you are whining about Babar Azam as an opener, than replace him with Shan Masood......

Point is, KK has sucked and they are trying to pin all the blame on Babar for not batting at 1 down. Pathetic stuff from Salman Iqbal. He is just being an opportunistic here and knows since Babar is being bashed by everyone, so he is putting his own lack of success in KK on Babar

Yeah but suppose you are the captain and your management wants to go with a different strategy to win. You should accommodate and move to number 3. This has been a recurring issue with him. He had to be sacked as captain before he moved to number 3

 

[Major]

Yeah but suppose you are the captain and your management wants to go with a different strategy to win. You should accommodate and move to number 3. This has been a recurring issue with him. He had to be sacked as captain before he moved to number 3

Its between the team management and the players. If they have an issue than trade the player and get more assets.

These guys went a step further and made Babar a captain. So clearly they had no issues when he was there. Issues started when his own teammates like Amir and Imad made dumb statements.

And it was Rashid who confirmed (he was with KK), that it was Babar that moved out and not KK moving him.

Now when everyone is hating on him, the owner of KK is making such statements.

Lets not forget this same owner called LQ becharay and since that day KK has sucked.

KK thought Babar was the problem, so when he moved out, they think they would be winning. Than they saw the garbage Imad and Amir deliveried and had to move both of them aswell.

At the end, KK only shot itself in the foot by moving the wrong player. Now no one in Karachi shows up for a match

 

[zarak]

Its between the team management and the players. If they have an issue than trade the player and get more assets.

These guys went a step further and made Babar a captain. So clearly they had no issues when he was there. Issues started when his own teammates like Amir and Imad made dumb statements.

And it was Rashid who confirmed (he was with KK), that it was Babar that moved out and not KK moving him.

Now when everyone is hating on him, the owner of KK is making such statements.

Lets not forget this same owner called LQ becharay and since that day KK has sucked.

KK thought Babar was the problem, so when he moved out, they think they would be winning. Than they saw the garbage Imad and Amir deliveried and had to move both of them aswell.

At the end, KK only shot itself in the foot by moving the wrong player. Now no one in Karachi shows up for a match

Heard Herschelle Gibbs and Wasim Akram say similar things. Same goes with Adam Hollioake. Babar has a reputation of being very inflexible and resistant to change. This is why his batting has not evolved. In my opinion he is going to be a burden on Zalmi and will get chucked out from there or he will leave himself.

 

[Major]

Heard Herschelle Gibbs and Wasim Akram say similar things. Same goes with Adam Hollioake. Babar has a reputation of being very inflexible and resistant to change. This is why his batting has not evolved. In my opinion he is going to be a burden on Zalmi and will get chucked out from there or he will leave himself.

Zalmi is making money of him thorugh brand affiliations.

My point is, if KK had an issue than they should had moved him out instead of making him the captain

 

[BunnyRabbit]

People criticized IU for trading Babar, but over time it has proven to be a good decision. They have won 3 titles and it's never good to put your preference over the team's

 

[Rana]

Zalmi is making money of him thorugh brand affiliations.

My point is, if KK had an issue than they should had moved him out instead of making him the captain

How do you know and why do you care about how much money Zalmi are making?

 

[Major]

How do you know and why do you care about how much money Zalmi are making?

i dont care, but Zalmi is getting its money worth with Babar that Karachi messed up big time.

Babar has alot of Brand affiliations going on, which Zalmi has used and done quite well financially.

PSL teams are aminly in it to make financial gains.

 

[Rana]

i dont care, but Zalmi is getting its money worth with Babar that Karachi messed up big time.

Babar has alot of Brand affiliations going on, which Zalmi has used and done quite well financially.

PSL teams are aminly in it to make financial gains.

You don’t know but you are saying PZ is making money? Like what do they need money for?? Talk with facts and not emotions!

 

[topspin]

You missed Imad and amir part also... they were released as well so they were creating issues as well... NO????

Which was a major blunder given how clutch he was with both bat and ball for ISLU last season.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

i dont care, but Zalmi is getting its money worth with Babar that Karachi messed up big time.

Babar has alot of Brand affiliations going on, which Zalmi has used and done quite well financially.

PSL teams are aminly in it to make financial gains.

But they are also in it to win the tournaments which neither KK nor PZ have been doing.

 

[Devadwal]

Muhtaq Ahmed on Babar Azam's poor performance:

"The reason Babar is not performing is that they took the captaincy away from him and then rested him from Test and 50-over
cricket"

 

[Major]

But they are also in it to win the tournaments which neither KK nor PZ have been doing.

Winning the tournament is part of it. But alot of these business owners are there to make money or launder their own funds

 

[Major]

You don’t know but you are saying PZ is making money? Like what do they need money for?? Talk with facts and not emotions!

Psl teams are bought businessman that are their to make money. No one is buying a 10 carore team just to win a tournament.

They buy a 10 carore team to make money and that is by brand affiliations.

If you think a business owners gave away his money just to win a tournament, than you are very naive

 

[gazza619]

Winning the tournament is part of it. But alot of these business owners are there to make money or launder their own funds

+ some publicity for these owners. Look at Ali Tareen in the news

 

[Rana]

+ some publicity for these owners. Look at Ali Tareen in the news

How is he getting that? By promoting Rizwan?

 

[gazza619]

How is he getting that? By promoting Rizwan?

Well you do somehow link every post to RizBar. That is quite a skill I must admit.

 

[Major]

How is he getting that? By promoting Rizwan?

I have some serious speculations on Ali Tareen, as I think he is laundering money through this team.

 

[Rana]

I have some serious speculations on Ali Tareen, as I think he is laundering money through this team.

That’s none of my business.

Babar and Rizwan are not T20 openers, and they are not selfless captains.

 

[Major]

That’s none of my business.

Babar and Rizwan are not T20 openers, and they are not selfless captains.

Well it is a concern and impacts the finances of PSL.

 

[Rana]

Well it is a concern and impacts the finances of PSL.

It doesn’t concern me or you. How does it make any difference to the fans of cricket???

 

[Major]

It doesn’t concern me or you. How does it make any difference to the fans of cricket???

Its corruption. Which impacts psl and multan sultan of potential ban in future.

 

[Rana]

Its corruption. Which impacts psl and multan sultan of potential ban in future.

I will dance on the grave of this franchise when it happens and is proven.

Until then, I will talk on cricket. The cricket produced by these wretched franchise and their agenda is the only thing that concerns me or you.

 

[Kianig89]

Multan Sultans have all the ingredients of becoming Galacticos , hopefully Tareen will lure some big names in next season

 

[shariqnoor]

What needs to be studied is what happened to Babar in the Vitality Blast of 2019 where he played as an opener at a SR of almost 150?

Was he the by-product of a modern T20 work setup at Somerset?

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

KK has been a failed and poorly run franchise since its inception and Iqbal using Babar as a scapegoat now due to his media backlash isn't going to wash and shows the calibre of the man.

Had he come out and said this at the time then there could of been some sort of credibility and merit to it.

Ringing Babar and asking him to stay on after Pakistan reached the T20 semi - final shows a glory hunt mentality of wanting the leader to be in their franchise.


It cant be a coincidence that players are excelling and performing better after leaving KK.

That is a Damning independent assessment itself.

 

[Rana]

Had he come out and said this at the time then there could of been some sort of credibility and merit to it

When Wasim Akram came out and said it, you people torched him because Babar couldn’t do no wrong back then.

It’s you people who have no credibility. This is the perfect and right time for Salman Iqbal to disclose thei information.

 

[Shoaib Akhtar 100 MPH]

When Wasim Akram came out and said it, you people torched him because Babar couldn’t do no wrong back then.

It’s you people who have no credibility. This is the perfect and right time for Salman Iqbal to disclose thei information.

I have always had a consistent approach when it comes to Babar.

Top player but poor captain.

What credibility does Iqbal have for not backing his mentor or what ever role Akram had at the time.???..

Try answering the question rather than your usual Who cares response when you don't have answers.

 

[zarak]

What needs to be studied is what happened to Babar in the Vitality Blast of 2019 where he played as an opener at a SR of almost 150?

Was he the by-product of a modern T20 work setup at Somerset?

it was 2019. He was in form, people had not studied him.

 

[topspin]

What needs to be studied is what happened to Babar in the Vitality Blast of 2019 where he played as an opener at a SR of almost 150?

Was he the by-product of a modern T20 work setup at Somerset?

He was in the ascendency under Mickey Arthur. It's just another case of Misbah turning anything he touches into turd.

 

[Mockingbird]

He was in the ascendency under Mickey Arthur. It's just another case of Misbah turning anything he touches into turd.

So it is all Misbah’s fault and Babar has no culpability? Is Misbah holding the bat for Babar on the field?

 

[topspin]

So it is all Misbah’s fault and Babar has no culpability? Is Misbah holding the bat for Babar on the field?

Oh bc, Misbah mentored Babar when he took over from Sarfraz Ahmed as captain. Prior to Misbah's appointment, Babar was far more level headed, harder working and was a certainly a better player.

It would be dumb to think it's merely a coincidence.

 

[zarak]

Oh bc, Misbah mentored Babar when he took over from Sarfraz Ahmed as captain. Prior to Misbah's appointment, Babar was far more level headed, harder working and was a certainly a better player.

It would be dumb to think it's merely a coincidence.

Babar is not a baby. Fault lies with him.

 

[topspin]

Babar is not a baby. Fault lies with him.

Pakistan cricketers come from uneducated backgrounds. They do not appreciate the importance of maintaining discipline and strong work ethic.

They need the right support network around them. Unfortunately, Pakistan has the worst coaches - Misbah is a reflection of that.

 

[Savak]

Babars decline started from 2023 onwards

 

[zarak]

Pakistan cricketers come from uneducated backgrounds. They do not appreciate the importance of maintaining discipline and strong work ethic.

They need the right support network around them. Unfortunately, Pakistan has the worst coaches - Misbah is a reflection of that.

For sure brother. But these guys are paid well. Mingle with international players. Knowledge is not hard to find these days. They have enough money to hire trainers, nutritionists, personal batting coaches etc... Look at someone like Younis Khan. Not educated but always evolving and ahead of his time. And super fit to the end.

 

[zarak]

Babars decline started from 2023 onwards

2022 T20i world cup, in fact the Asia cup before that.

 

[topspin]

For sure brother. But these guys are paid well. Mingle with international players. Knowledge is not hard to find these days. They have enough money to hire trainers, nutritionists, personal batting coaches etc... Look at someone like Younis Khan. Not educated but always evolving and ahead of his time. And super fit to the end.

He's my favourite all-time Pakistani cricketer but remember he's an exception. Things are not going to change until Pakistan cricket is up to speed with the modern game.

Even a team like Sri Lanka would have dumped Babar from batting in T20s years ago.

 

[shariqnoor]

He was in the ascendency under Mickey Arthur. It's just another case of Misbah turning anything he touches into turd.

Factually untrue.

Babar's SR in the 2 years under Misbah was greater than his SR before Misbah and after Misbah.

This is his SR summary during Misbah's reign. So how was Misbah responsible for his SR decline after September 2021 when Babar's SR was the highest under Misbah?

 

[topspin]

Factually untrue.

Babar's SR in the 2 years under Misbah was greater than his SR before Misbah and after Misbah.

This is his SR summary during Misbah's reign. So how was Misbah responsible for his SR decline after September 2021 when Babar's SR was the highest under Misbah?

In white ball cricket, Babar peaked during the 2019 WC. He regressed after that tournament. I will not be deceived by meaningless knocks in bilaterals against second/third string and minnow bowling attacks.

 

[zarak]

He's my favourite all-time Pakistani cricketer but remember he's an exception. Things are not going to change until Pakistan cricket is up to speed with the modern game.

Even a team like Sri Lanka would have dumped Babar from batting in T20s years ago.

Thoughts on Rizwans fitness.

 

[mominsaigol]

Pakistan cricketers come from uneducated backgrounds. They do not appreciate the importance of maintaining discipline and strong work ethic.

They need the right support network around them. Unfortunately, Pakistan has the worst coaches - Misbah is a reflection of that.

This is true. Even medicore players under sarfi such as Imam, Babar, Hafeez, Haris sohail all massively improved.

Haris sohail actually became a solid class batsmen. Even imam scored multiple centuries in sarfi era.

Under misbah they all went from bad to worse. As for YK, YK isn't really from Misbah era. YK didn't really give a damn about Misbah. Infact YK didn't trust misbah in 2009, told him to take off his pads as he doesn't trust misbah to finish the game

 

[iRfaN_LA]

guys it's simple, star power has gotten into his head. No one should be above the team, unfortunately Babar probably think he is.

 

[topspin]

Thoughts on Rizwans fitness.

His fitness his excellent and exceptional by Pakistani standards.

 

[Greenstorm]

He was in the ascendency under Mickey Arthur. It's just another case of Misbah turning anything he touches into turd.

Babar is mentally weak and needs a father figure around him. Mickey Arthur served that role during initial part of his career and later Ramiz Raja picked up that role. Babar is lost since the departure of Ramiz so much so that his own father had to defend him in recent backlash after CT and attended Babar's net sessions which is unusual in Pakistan.

Technical issues aside, Babar hasn't been able to become his own man yet which is a tragedy.

 

[Greenstorm]

This is true. Even medicore players under sarfi such as Imam, Babar, Hafeez, Haris sohail all massively improved.

Haris sohail actually became a solid class batsmen. Even imam scored multiple centuries in sarfi era.

Under misbah they all went from bad to worse. As for YK, YK isn't really from Misbah era. YK didn't really give a damn about Misbah. Infact YK didn't trust misbah in 2009, told him to take off his pads as he doesn't trust misbah to finish the game

Harris Sohail was a class batsman since his debut in 2013. He should have played in 2011 WC imo.

Babar, Hafeez and Imam did well mainly due to Mickey. Sarfi didn't had much power but still he was selfless and a fighter until 2019 when he had given up on himself.

 

[topspin]

Babar is mentally weak and needs a father figure around him. Mickey Arthur served that role during initial part of his career and later Ramiz Raja picked up that role. Babar is lost since the departure of Ramiz so much so that his own father had to defend him in recent backlash after CT and attended Babar's net sessions which is unusual in Pakistan.

Technical issues aside, Babar hasn't been able to become his own man yet which is a tragedy.

Exactly, he's so mentally weak that he always needed someone to hold his hands but the likes of Misbah and Ramiz failed him.

We saw last year for Peshawar Zalmi, the importance of Darren Sammy, who clearly didn't trust Babar Azam's cricketing acumen for him to make decisions as captain by himself.

 

[Greenstorm]

Exactly, he's so mentally weak that he always needed someone to hold his hands but the likes of Misbah and Ramiz failed him.

We saw last year for Peshawar Zalmi, the importance of Darren Sammy, who clearly didn't trust Babar Azam's cricketing acumen for him to make decisions as captain by himself.

Misbah is a control freak who has an issue with any exceptional player that can challenge his authority.

Ramiz believed in Imran's school of thinking where captain should hold all the power. He didn't realize that Babar wasn't cut for the role (Rizwan was a better choice at that time). Still, Ramiz enabled Babar to create a positive (but complacent) team atmosphere where they played as a unit and results atleast in shorter formats reflected that. Topped their group in 21WC alongwith being runners up in Asia Cup and WC22.

Departure of Ramiz brought the downfall of Babar and this team resulting in shambolic first round exits of 23WC, 24WC and CT. Basically it was everyman for himself and players started relying on connections. Players also lost respect for Babar once he used his connections to retake captaincy.

 

[shariqnoor]

In white ball cricket, Babar peaked during the 2019 WC. He regressed after that tournament. I will not be deceived by meaningless knocks in bilaterals against second/third string and minnow bowling attacks.

Why do you bring in random statements that have no factual basis. Again lies spread.

Firstly, we were talking about T20, and when you get fact checked there, you deflect and bring ODI into the equation.

Secondly, you are even wrong on ODIs as well. How did Babar peak in the World Cup when Babar averaged 77 with a SR of 107 under Misbah coaching stint which was after the World Cup? This is higher than Babar's 65 average at a SR of 84 in the World Cup.

Please stop making up random things in your head.

 

[topspin]

Why do you bring in random statements that have no factual basis. Again lies spread.

Sorry but this is your expertise as evident by the fact that when you mentioned:

Firstly, we were talking about T20, and when you get fact checked there, you deflect and bring ODI into the equation.

You do realise the fundamentals of T20s and ODIs are very much the same? I think you need to get with the times. In the modern game, ODIs are an extension of T20Is.

Secondly, you are even wrong on ODIs as well. How did Babar peak in the World Cup when Babar averaged 77 with a SR of 107 under Misbah coaching stint which was after the World Cup? This is higher than Babar's 65 average at a SR of 84 in the World Cup.

Oh wow, you're going to use stats against second/third string and minnow bowling attacks to draw a comparison of these runs in meaningless bilaterals against first string bowling attacks in a World Cup played in England?

Please stop making up random things in your head.

You have some nerve coming up with this, after having claimed "Imam is the most important player in the team". Practice what you preach otherwise your hypocrisy will be exposed.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Babar is still doing the same thing and that is to keep sticking to open. He should move 1 down now. He has been pathetic so far in PSL 10.

 

[shariqnoor]

Sorry but this is your expertise as evident by the fact that when you mentioned:



You do realise the fundamentals of T20s and ODIs are very much the same? I think you need to get with the times. In the modern game, ODIs are an extension of T20Is.



Oh wow, you're going to use stats against second/third string and minnow bowling attacks to draw a comparison of these runs in meaningless bilaterals against first string bowling attacks in a World Cup played in England?



You have some nerve coming up with this, after having claimed "Imam is the most important player in the team". Practice what you preach otherwise your hypocrisy will be exposed.

As expected, zilch response when debunked.

Keep living in your self created fantasies. Have a good day.