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Are Babar Azam's good days in Test cricket about to come?

Abdullah Rabbani

Abdullah Rabbani

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Joined
Sep 21, 2018
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Babar Azam struggle in past two year's in test cricket averaged 32.33 in 2017, 16.73 in 2018.
In 2019 he looks solid saved team from Ireland loss then helped to beat England in lord's and perform well against Australia he averaged 54.40 what you think his good day come in Tests.
 
Abdullah Rabbani said:
Babar Azam struggle in past two year's in test cricket averaged 32.33 in 2017, 16.73 in 2018.
In 2019 he looks solid saved team from Ireland loss then helped to beat England in lord's and perform well against Australia he averaged 54.40 what you think his good day come in Tests.
Click to expand...

2018* and I'm not sure he looked much better but his average in FC is only 35 too. I think it's more of a mental block switching from playing in a limited overs game to a test match. Hopefully he can make scores this series it will benefit him alot as a batsman.
 
The NZ series will be make or break for Babar.

Hopefully Babar makes it count. He has the makings of a 47+ averaging Test batsman maybe even a 50 averaging batsman. His poor showing so far has been due to a mental block mostly and he has had bad luck whenever he looked like overcoming that block. Got his hand fractured when he looked set for a hundred in England, got run out against Ireland and when he was finally 1 run away from his 100 he got stuck for a bit and got a good ball
 
iPakistani said:
2018* and I'm not sure he looked much better but his average in FC is only 35 too. I think it's more of a mental block switching from playing in a limited overs game to a test match. Hopefully he can make scores this series it will benefit him alot as a batsman.
Click to expand...

No 40+ If You Don't Add Tests
 
Mark my words he will never come good in test cricket. Ever. He will never average above 30.
 
Test cricket should be his best format in the long run. He is not gutsy enough to be an impact player in Limited Overs, but he is a prolific scorer nonetheless.

Averaging 45+ at a 50+ strike rate should not be beyond him after 50-60 Tests. Needs a couple of big tons to get going.
 
[MENTION=34705]cric[/MENTION]letDon No one needs to mark your words except you because in the upcoming series his average is going to be above 30 inshallah .
 
Needs to go back to FC, average 50+ in a season or two and come back. Those who proclaim that he will rot in the domestics don't have the slightest clue about how merit works.
 
His 99 against Australia saved him but he needs to be consistent in this upcoming series.
 
Just needs to get that first Test ton, then we'll really see him get going. Has it in him to be a 45-50+ averaging player.
 
Just saying, many great players had far worse starts than Babar Azam in tests. Babar is still very young and already proved his worth in both ODIs and tests. Also at the end of the day, it doesn't matter much even if he fails in tests, as tests are gradually losing relevance each year. If he is a gun LOI player, he will still be praised lavishly like Rohit Sharma. For a SC player, he is doing brilliantly in the formats which matter to his followers.
 
Very good player who is the future of our batting. But his batting with the tail was pathetic. He needed to farm the strike.

Since he looks more confident, maybe putting up the order is a option. Then get rid of one of Imam/Azhar/Hafeez and get somebody else like Saad Ali in the middle order.
 
The Viper said:
Very good player who is the future of our batting. But his batting with the tail was pathetic. He needed to farm the strike.

Since he looks more confident, maybe putting up the order is a option. Then get rid of one of Imam/Azhar/Hafeez and get somebody else like Saad Ali in the middle order.
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Sarfraz and Asad Shafiq do the same and it's very frustrating. Seems like they have not talked about it in team meetings. A lineup without Amir, Shadab and Faheem means the main bats got to take the strike as much as possible.

If Babar had taken more risk and taken more of the strike after Sarfraz's dismissal he could have scored a hundred today or at the least come close.

Pathetic plannning by the team management.
 
The Viper said:
Very good player who is the future of our batting. But his batting with the tail was pathetic. He needed to farm the strike.

Since he looks more confident, maybe putting up the order is a option. Then get rid of one of Imam/Azhar/Hafeez and get somebody else like Saad Ali in the middle order.
Click to expand...

What about asad shafique
 
Abdullah Rabbani said:
What about asad shafique
Click to expand...

Asad is a very frustrating player. Him and Azhar are the most experienced players but they but can’t score big. Asad can’t be discarded now because we do need some experience and he doesn’t bat at a very low strike rate. We will have to see his performances in remaining innings.

I would bat Asad at 5 with Haris at 3 and Babar at 4.

This should be our lineup for UAE.

Azhar
Zaman
Haris
Babar
Asad
Saad
Sarfaraz
Bilal
Yasir
Hasan
Abbas
 
Prince of Pakistan said:
Sarfraz and Asad Shafiq do the same and it's very frustrating. Seems like they have not talked about it in team meetings. A lineup without Amir, Shadab and Faheem means the main bats got to take the strike as much as possible.

If Babar had taken more risk and taken more of the strike after Sarfraz's dismissal he could have scored a hundred today or at the least come close.

Pathetic plannning by the team management.
Click to expand...

There really was no pressure on Babar. If he got out then so be it. But no point staying out there and exposing the tail.
 
I think he has started to establish himself in test cricket as well. Yes, hundreds is what you expect from world class level batsmen and Babar is yet to get his first one even but at least he has started getting runs under belt.

Can become a very good test player for England but need to bring the mentality and hunger for runs.
 
The Viper said:
Asad is a very frustrating player. Him and Azhar are the most experienced players but they but can’t score big. Asad can’t be discarded now because we do need some experience and he doesn’t bat at a very low strike rate. We will have to see his performances in remaining innings.

I would bat Asad at 5 with Haris at 3 and Babar at 4.

This should be our lineup for UAE.

Azhar
Zaman
Haris
Babar
Asad
Saad
Sarfaraz
Bilal
Yasir
Hasan
Abbas
Click to expand...

Not bad
 
Prince of Pakistan said:
He averages 60 in 2018.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I guessed so because he has been churning out good contributions consistently. However, he needs to score that big one soon. A 150 odd from him would really settle him. I remember he has a highest score of around 250 in FC.
 
Flat_Track_Bully said:
He needs to get a county cricket stint.
Click to expand...

Country cricket isn't everything. It didn't improve Azhar Ali.

Also Babar's issues were against spinners. He needed more FC cricket which he did not get as he has been with the team since his debut in 2015. Fortunately he is getting there.
 
Madplayer said:
Thanks. I guessed so because he has been churning out good contributions consistently. However, he needs to score that big one soon. A 150 odd from him would really settle him. I remember he has a highest score of around 250 in FC.
Click to expand...

It will come in due time. His test batting average has already crossed 30 and he averages 55 this year. He is easily top 3 LOI batsman in the world since 2016. He deserves his opportunities more than anybody.
 
I think babar good day's in test cricket not come he looks solid in test's he know how to build inning in test but his luck is not with him 3 runout in 2018 when he cross 60 something wrong happens hope he bat 4 or 5
 
Loved the way he was running for his life of the 1st ball of the over xposing the tail.. these guys must think fans a stupid!!
 
He seems to have got the hang of test cricket now and should swap places with Shafiq and come 3 down rather than 4. If, he continues to improve the way he has this year, then he would have a very long test career and a good one at that...
 
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The only way he was going to learn about test cricket was by playing. Sending him back to domestic cricket would have ruined him.
 
So happy for babar. He is all class and elegance. Just needs to keep his focus on the game and he will be pakistan's greatest batsman across all formats.
 
It was only a matter of time. Only reason Babar didn't succeed it test was a mental block. Now he has found out how to score runs in tests. His average has rose to 35, need only 2 more tons to cross 40.
 
Given a bit more time in test cricket he will break into the fab 4 for sure. Already is a more accomplished LOI player than most of them bar Kohli.
 
Pretty decent 2018 so far.

EcS604a.png
 
He’s been very good since the Lords Test Match. Looks like he’s found his flow at this level also
 
Stark difference to his cousin who started off so brightly but faded away with time and the challenge of Test cricket, Babar has matured into the game
 
Abdullah719 said:
wqNwydH.png
Click to expand...

Thanks.

Shadab with 3 50s in 5 innings...guess he can bat after all.


Hafeez, Azhar, Asad, and Sarfraz.......... we were expecting these guys to take responsibility after MisYou. Instead a youngster, who was struggling very badly just an year ago, has taken responsibility. This should be embarrassing for these experienced players.
 
Darkrai said:
Thanks.

Shadab with 3 50s in 5 innings...guess he can bat after all.


Hafeez, Azhar, Asad, and Sarfraz.......... we were expecting these guys to take responsibility after MisYou. Instead a youngster, who was struggling very badly just an year ago, has taken responsibility. This should be embarrassing for these experienced players.
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Soon we get rid off Asad,Imam,Asif And ATG Hafeez then our team become better side
 
Getting better each game. Lovely to have a player that wants to be consistently good instead of here and there good performances.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Babar Azam in Test cricket since January 2018:<br><br>Innings 23<br>Runs 1072<br>Hundreds 3<br>Fifties 8<br>Average 56.42<br>(Pic courtesy PCB)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cricket</a> <a href="https://t.co/pcYBhduqUG">pic.twitter.com/pcYBhduqUG</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1206190093599416320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
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CricketDon said:
Mark my words he will never come good in test cricket. Ever. He will never average above 30.
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Where's this donnie nowadays? :)))
I'm trying to figure out if he was joking or actually being serious lol

I assume he's a Pakistani so must be joking lol
 
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Mamoon said:
Test cricket should be his best format in the long run. He is not gutsy enough to be an impact player in Limited Overs, but he is a prolific scorer nonetheless.

Averaging 45+ at a 50+ strike rate should not be beyond him after 50-60 Tests. Needs a couple of big tons to get going.
Click to expand...

Been following your comments on Babar Azam for a long time . . and mostly agreed on him not being an "impact player" . . lack of "match changing abilities" . . "timid outlook" etc. etc. .

However, in the last 12 to 18 months, I have begun to notice a change in how he is batting and how he is carrying himself on the field . . Almost feels as though he is starting to develop an aura about him . . I won't talk much about his innings today as it was in an inconsequential setting against a mediocre attack (though his innings was disdainful compared to Abid and Azhar almost like he was having an evening net) . .

However, the way he played in SA (though he didn't go on to score big but you can also potentially put that down to what was happening on the other end) and Aus . . looks like a player who is authoritative and in command when he goes out to bat against 2 top attacks in their backyards . . something seems to have changed! His runs are coming at a fair clip and don't look timid . . Long may it continue . .

Hoping this "Pakistani anomaly" continues to put his head down, work hard and "express" himself on the field more and more with time!
 
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