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Babar Azam joins the pantheon of the remarkable

There's absolutely no doubt to me that he is one of the best pure batters in the world. If you want to talk about technique, skill and ability there are few that compare. I feel he has all the tools to become of the great test batters of this era whereas for ODIs, he is basically tailor-made. T20s, the less said the better, but then again does being a great T20 batter really mean much these days? Especially when knocks like 30 off 15 or 40 off 20 are the gold standard of the format, that you can even luck your way to.

His biggest problem for me has been his lack of performance in big, high-pressure matches. As well as his failures in high-profile test series. Unless he starts stepping up in those matches I feel like there will always be an asterisk next to his name when people talk about what a great batter he once was years from now.
 
Babar is an excellent anchor player in ODI and wonderful middle order bat in tests. He is not a natural T20 player. He is neither a power hitter like Klassen or a finisher like Kohli and its OK. As an Indian fan, i dont expect Arshdeep to be Wasim Akram. He does his best and thats is enough for me. At times i feel, Pak fans expect too much from him. Its not like he put a gun on the head of Pak fans to call him KING and hype him.
 
Exactly one year since Babar scored this "pantheon of greatness" entering knock against Nepal in the Asia cup.

Since then , he has played 42 innings across all formats in international cricket and has scored 0 centuries. Highest score of 75 that too against Ireland. :)
 
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Ironic title if you interpret the word ‘remarkable’ differently.

He has left the pantheon of the great (if ever he was in it, Pakistani great perhaps) and is now in the pantheon of the merely remarkable.
 
In all generations, Pakistani batting greats remained under the shadow of the best in the world.

Zaheer Abbas, Miandad played in the shadow of Gavaskar, Richards

Inzamam, Saeed Anwar remained below Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting

Yousuf, Yoni bhai remained below Sangakkara, ABD

Bobsie remained below Kohli, Williamson, Root, Smith
 
Bhaijaan said:
In all generations, Pakistani batting greats remained under the shadow of the best in the world.

Zaheer Abbas, Miandad played in the shadow of Gavaskar, Richards

Inzamam, Saeed Anwar remained below Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting

Yousuf, Yoni bhai remained below Sangakkara, ABD

Bobsie remained below Kohli, Williamson, Root, Smith
Click to expand...
Bobsy remained below everyone including the likes of salt, Butler, Qdk etc etc
 
Bhaijaan said:
In all generations, Pakistani batting greats remained under the shadow of the best in the world.

Zaheer Abbas, Miandad played in the shadow of Gavaskar, Richards

Inzamam, Saeed Anwar remained below Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting

Yousuf, Yoni bhai remained below Sangakkara, ABD

Bobsie remained below Kohli, Williamson, Root, Smith
Click to expand...
Yoni is better than abd in tests
 
𝟭𝟭𝟳 ODIs
𝟱𝟱 Tests
𝟭𝟮𝟯 T20Is
𝟭𝟯,𝟴𝟳𝟭 runs
𝟯𝟭 centuries
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 ICC Cricketer of the Year
#𝟭 Ranked ODI Batter

Happy Birthday to Babar Azam. Hopefully, he will make a comeback stronger and better than ever.
 
BouncerGuy said:
𝟭𝟭𝟳 ODIs
𝟱𝟱 Tests
𝟭𝟮𝟯 T20Is
𝟭𝟯,𝟴𝟳𝟭 runs
𝟯𝟭 centuries
𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟮 ICC Cricketer of the Year
#𝟭 Ranked ODI Batter

Happy Birthday to Babar Azam. Hopefully, he will make a comeback stronger and better than ever.
Click to expand...
Ik it's your duty to make such celebration posts.

But even ik how painful this was for you and the sarcasm involved 🤣🤣🤣.
 
BouncerGuy said:
I celebrate every good moment. Babar's form is down IK but I am hopeful.
Click to expand...
You're an optimist which is a good thing.

I'm a realist however and it is important to know the truth.

Babar ain't coming back unless he starts taking things seriously

If Babar comes back to form, you'll see it from intent, fitness and more red ball cricket being played in fc from him.
 
it certainly is remarkable how quickly he has fallen since the innings (against Nepal) that prompted the creation of this thread!
 
TheSultan said:
it certainly is remarkable how quickly he has fallen since the innings (against Nepal) that prompted the creation of this thread!
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I always got confused at this.

The way the thread was phrased, you'd think Babar scored a 150 against Mcgrath, Murli, Wasim, Bumrah, Warne, Waqar and many others 🤣🤣.

Like Sharjeel has a 150 of 86 deliveries againat Ireland and it was a brutal minnow bashing yet I don't see a thread about him saying Sharjeel has joined the pantheon of the Remarkable.
 
owenhcricket said:
Babar Azam scored his 19th century today against Nepal. It's a small side so as a century it will likely pale in comparison as the years pass compared to his brilliant World Cup century against New Zealand or century on Aussie soil. Yet we should not forget the importance of such a knock: Pakistan were 2 down already with very few runs on the board, his bets batting partner in Rizwan would eventually run himself out and the game was wide open for the taking. Babar scored 151 at a strike rate of 115, counter attacking and creating an unassailable lead.

In the process, Babar edges closer to matching Saeed Anwar and he will likely overtake the left hander in a few games, maybe this tournament. Of the modern batsmen to match or surpass him there are only 3, Warner is on 19 with Virat and Rohit far ahead but Babar is scoring a century almost every 5 games and averaging almost 60...in comparison Rohit has scored a century almost every 8 games and Virat every 6.

On the all time list, only 14 batsmen have more centuries, he will likely overtake the next 10 in the coming years matching the exceptional Jayasuriya. If that does happen, Babar will have a far superior average and a much better matches to century ratio. What remains then? Sharma, Ponting, Kohli and Tendulkar, 3 of which are all time great ODI batters.

Babar has truly join the pantheon of the remarkable.

So how far do you think he can go in terms of centuries? I think he'll get to 30 ODI centuries, injuries not withstanding which is around 55 more ODIs.
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If ever there was a jinx thread opener!! :O
Babar Azam couldnt score a single century in any format since this thread started. :ROFLMAO:
Some guys have the midas touch!!
 
Aang_The_last_airbender said:
If ever there was a jinx thread opener!! :O
Babar Azam couldnt score a single century in any format since this thread started. :ROFLMAO:
Some guys have the midas touch!!
Click to expand...
Babar isn't inheritanly the worst just saying. Hos recent rubbish has well made him rubbish but has caused fans to believe that he was always bad.

He was always overrated, not bad, theirs a difference.

He was a certified minnow basher in his prime and that's not a bad thing. Regardless of the attacks he's the only player to get 3 back to back centuries, Has 19 centuries in odi while the rest who played the exact same attack do not. And his India + NZ game cannot he discounted.

Minnow bashers aren't a bad thing inheritanly because it means that their experts at identifying weak links in bowling attacks which every single team has here and their with the exception of classic Australia and classic west indies, and going to town on them while biding their time against the stronger links.

Sangakara is a fantastic example of this, Would just dab it and take a single against good bowlers but utterly bully any weak links in an attack.

Problem is Babar let his fitness go, turned into a baloon, His reactions are horrible, Zero footwork against spin and frankly he plays at 140KPH pacers as if their ramming Ferrari's into him
 
mominsaigol said:
Babar isn't inheritanly the worst just saying. Hos recent rubbish has well made him rubbish but has caused fans to believe that he was always bad.

He was always overrated, not bad, theirs a difference.

He was a certified minnow basher in his prime and that's not a bad thing. Regardless of the attacks he's the only player to get 3 back to back centuries, Has 19 centuries in odi while the rest who played the exact same attack do not. And his India + NZ game cannot he discounted.

Minnow bashers aren't a bad thing inheritanly because it means that their experts at identifying weak links in bowling attacks which every single team has here and their with the exception of classic Australia and classic west indies, and going to town on them while biding their time against the stronger links.

Sangakara is a fantastic example of this, Would just dab it and take a single against good bowlers but utterly bully any weak links in an attack.

Problem is Babar let his fitness go, turned into a baloon, His reactions are horrible, Zero footwork against spin and frankly he plays at 140KPH pacers as if their ramming Ferrari's into him
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I have always agreed he has been one of the best batsmen for Pakistan in a decade. But nowhere near world class. He got sucked into the hype train, and lacked work ethic to improve his game.
People just overhyped him to no end and the situation has become troll fodder for us.
 
Aang_The_last_airbender said:
I have always agreed he has been one of the best batsmen for Pakistan in a decade. But nowhere near world class. He got sucked into the hype train, and lacked work ethic to improve his game.
People just overhyped him to no end and the situation has become troll fodder for us.
Click to expand...
Well he is because the cupboard is dry.

He wouldn't make it into the past teams. He's nothing more then a bootleg ypusaf in his prime.

Thing about yousaf is that he went missing in icc events and was a soft scorer since he always needed backing from other batters around him like inzi to function.

However besides one game, 14 of 15 odi centuries resulted in wins for his team. He went not put in 10 of em and hit the winning shot in all of em. He personally took pakistan over the line and not just in odi but in test too, Infact many of these games would not have been won without him, his anchoring ensured the opposition wouldn't get away with rr or with the wickets and the game.

Babar has done it once in odi and even then needed major hand holding from haris sohail to pull it off in odi and once in t20.

Look at babar's 2017 Australia game and some of yousaf's games where he went not put and you'll see the difference in approach and why yousaf was able to win games while Babar despite scoring 100's was not

Even in Prime, Dude had zero clue about RR maintaince.
 
mominsaigol said:
Well he is because the cupboard is dry.

He wouldn't make it into the past teams. He's nothing more then a bootleg ypusaf in his prime.

Thing about yousaf is that he went missing in icc events and was a soft scorer since he always needed backing from other batters around him like inzi to function.

However besides one game, 14 of 15 odi centuries resulted in wins for his team. He went not put in 10 of em and hit the winning shot in all of em. He personally took pakistan over the line and not just in odi but in test too, Infact many of these games would not have been won without him, his anchoring ensured the opposition wouldn't get away with rr or with the wickets and the game.

Babar has done it once in odi and even then needed major hand holding from haris sohail to pull it off in odi and once in t20.

Look at babar's 2017 Australia game and some of yousaf's games where he went not put and you'll see the difference in approach and why yousaf was able to win games while Babar despite scoring 100's was not

Even in Prime, Dude had zero clue about RR maintaince.
Click to expand...
Always called him King of soft runs too.. but that just shows how bad Pakistani selection and batting strength has been for more than a decade. Jarrod Kimber did a lovely analysis of his play style and he should be getting the advise on how to plug gaps in skill but it seems he is not willing to improve or rectify. And that for any sportsperson is the biggest sin.
 
Aang_The_last_airbender said:
Always called him King of soft runs too.. but that just shows how bad Pakistani selection and batting strength has been for more than a decade. Jarrod Kimber did a lovely analysis of his play style and he should be getting the advise on how to plug gaps in skill but it seems he is not willing to improve or rectify. And that for any sportsperson is the biggest sin.
Click to expand...
Soft scorers are good. Their not a bad thing otherwise sanga and yousaf are bad players.

Soft scoring and vanishing during key moments are 2 different things.

Yousaf's hundreds weren't anything special, the special thing about them is that he went not out, but he also batted with rr in mind, if rr was 7, then 100% he's going to score doubles and triples and play a shot.

If a batter at the other end is smashing it, then he's 100% going to take a single and give it to him rather then hogging strike like Misbah use to and cost the game.

The key trait was that he went not out, Just stubbornly stayed their, Same with his other innings where he dis get out, it was always at the back end of the innings when gane was mostly won.

Granted some sympathy for Babar is that Yousaf had batters around him while Babar's cupboard is bare, however it's still not an excuse.

I've seen yousaf and sanga bat with tail enders and heck even liton das is very responsible and I saw one game against NZ where Babar kept giving and rotating strike to tail enders and tail was collapsing and Babar was getting mad at his tail. Like bro, you're the one constantly giving strike to them and telling to slog. I can hear you

" Beta bas maro" through the screen 🤣. Oh and then he got out as well.

If he actually batted like sanga or yousaf, no one would have an issue, even if he didn't have batters with him, No one would question his form.

But he doesn't know how to bat with the tail, or how to balance rr or how to approach a chase or get a 1st innings total. The other 2 do, and they also know who to target.

Sanga is also mostly clueless on attacking tough bowlers, he just rotates strike against them. He was succesful cause their was always that one weak link where you can have a field day against and make their 60 deliveries hell.

Babar can't even do that?
 
Since his 151 against Nepal, Babar Azam has forget how to score runs.


Babar Azam's stats Till That InningsBabar Azam's stats After That InningsChange in Overall Numbers
ODI batting average59.4734.1856.72
Strike Rate89.2980.5188.75
Innings to ODI score century5.36-6
100s/50s in ODIs19/280/419/32
Combined average49.8431.5347.34
Test Batting Average47.7418.7543.92
Runs per innings43.7831.5242.03
100s/50s Overall31/840/1031/94
T20I Average41.4838.8241.03
100s/50s in Tests9/260/09/26
Strike Rate in Tests55.1744.8254.46



Since 1 September 2023, Babar Azam's overall stats :

Innings 42, Runs 1261, Average 31.53, Strike Rate 86, Zero Hundreds, 10 Fifties
 
Unbiased-Fan said:
Since his 151 against Nepal, Babar Azam has forget how to score runs.


Babar Azam's stats Till That InningsBabar Azam's stats After That InningsChange in Overall Numbers
ODI batting average59.4734.1856.72
Strike Rate89.2980.5188.75
Innings to ODI score century5.36-6
100s/50s in ODIs19/280/419/32
Combined average49.8431.5347.34
Test Batting Average47.7418.7543.92
Runs per innings43.7831.5242.03
100s/50s Overall31/840/1031/94
T20I Average41.4838.8241.03
100s/50s in Tests9/260/09/26
Strike Rate in Tests55.1744.8254.46



Since 1 September 2023, Babar Azam's overall stats :

Innings 42, Runs 1261, Average 31.53, Strike Rate 86, Zero Hundreds, 10 Fifties
Click to expand...
Yes, just like Kohli in the Test format since 2020. Average of 30 odd in 30 odd Tests.

The difference is that Kohli is going through an end of career termination while Babar is going through a mid career slump. There is light at the end of this tunnel.
 
Mamoon said:
Yes, just like Kohli in the Test format since 2020. Average of 30 odd in 30 odd Tests.

The difference is that Kohli is going through an end of career termination while Babar is going through a mid career slump. There is light at the end of this tunnel.
Click to expand...
Kohli's regression didn't apply to every format.

2023 he scored 3 centuries breaking tendulkar's record

2022 he played an atg innings against pak in t20.

He was more or less doing okay in other formats.

Babar is flunking all formats, big difference.

But yes kohli should have been axed from t20 on 2023 and axed from test 4 years ago
 
Mamoon said:
Yes, just like Kohli in the Test format since 2020. Average of 30 odd in 30 odd Tests.

The difference is that Kohli is going through an end of career termination while Babar is going through a mid career slump. There is light at the end of this tunnel.
Click to expand...
Babar is a joke of cricketer in front of Kohli. Even in his dip, he averages 56 in 2023. Kohli is better than any batsman that Pakistan and England combined have produced ever.
 
Mamoon said:
Yes, just like Kohli in the Test format since 2020. Average of 30 odd in 30 odd Tests.

The difference is that Kohli is going through an end of career termination while Babar is going through a mid career slump. There is light at the end of this tunnel.
Click to expand...
his slump was mostly in Tests. He Has struggled but has two hundreds and averages 33. In ODIs he has 7 hundreds and averages 51, although that less than his career average. and his T20i average is less but still respectable and better than Babar's overall career average. So even in his extended slump he has been better than in Babar in Test and T20s and outstanding in ODIS with a ATG world cup performance behind him.. Moreover, all this slump came after years of ATG performances where he had excelled in all formats like no one else in the past.
 
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SportsWarrior said:
his slump was mostly in Tests. He Has struggled but has two hundreds and averages 33. In ODIs he has 7 hundreds and averages 51, although that less than his career average. and his T20i average is less but still respectable and better than Babar's overall career average. So even in his extended slump he has been better than in Babar in Test and T20s and outstanding in ODIS with a ATG world cup performance behind him.. Moreover, all this slump came after years of ATG performances where he had excelled in all formats like no one else in the past.
Click to expand...
He is no ATG in Test cricket. In fact, he is one of the most overrated Test batsmen in history.

You cannot be an ATG in Test cricket when you have been mediocre for about 70% of your Test career.

Kohli started his Test career in 2011 and in the 14 years and counting, he has only been great for about 6 years (2014-2019).

He was mediocre from 2011 to 2014 and he has been a joke from 2020 till date. He just had one purple patch in Test cricket (2015-2019) and he is not even within a mile’s radius of being great either side of that purple patch.

Unless he does something extraordinary in the last 2-3 years of his Test career, he will retire with the same Test legacy as players like Yousuf and Inzamam and someone like Babar can most definitely reach his level in Test cricket over the next 6-7 years because the bar is not that high.

Also, there is no need of pivoting to white ball cricket out of desperation. We are talking about Test cricket only so kindly stick to Kohli’s mediocrity in Test cricket.
 
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Mamoon said:
He is no ATG in Test cricket. In fact, he is one of the most overrated Test batsmen in history.

You cannot be an ATG in Test cricket when you have been mediocre for about 70% of your Test career.

Kohli started his Test career in 2011 and in the 14 years and counting, he has only been great for about 6 years (2014-2019).

He was mediocre from 2011 to 2014 and he has been a joke from 2020 till date. He just had one purple patch in Test cricket (2015-2019) and he is not even within a mile’s radius of being great either side of that purple patch.

Unless he does something extraordinary in the last 2-3 years of his Test career, he will retire with the same Test legacy as players like Yousuf and Inzamam and someone like Babar can most definitely reach his level in Test cricket over the next 6-7 years because the bar is not that high.

Also, there is no need of pivoting to white ball cricket out of desperation. We are talking about Test cricket only so kindly stick to Kohli’s mediocrity in Test cricket.
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If you call a batsman averaging close to 50 with 29 hundreds as mediocre and then champion a batsman who averages 43 you don't have much credibility

Virat is certainly not an ATG in test neither did say he was. I wrote about ATG performances in ODI world cup. He certainly has some great performances like his Aus 2014 tour or SA 100, performance which allows him to coast for a while. Even during his slump years he has 10 international 100s including two in tests. Babar during his slump years hasnt got a 50 to show after playing in some of the most placid and flat roads. Even in his slump years Kholi is well and truely above Babar.
 
SportsWarrior said:
If you call a batsman averaging close to 50 with 29 hundreds as mediocre and then champion a batsman who averages 43 you don't have much credibility

Virat is certainly not an ATG in test neither did say he was. I wrote about ATG performances in ODI world cup. He certainly has some great performances like his Aus 2014 tour or SA 100, performance which allows him to coast for a while. Even during his slump years he has 10 international 100s including two in tests. Babar during his slump years hasnt got a 50 to show after playing in some of the most placid and flat roads. Even in his slump years Kholi is well and truely above Babar.
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I love how you mentioned Kohli's avg of 48.8 a close to 50 but couldn't do the same while mentioning 43.9 close to 45. :D

Bias.
 
Mamoon said:
He is no ATG in Test cricket. In fact, he is one of the most overrated Test batsmen in history.

You cannot be an ATG in Test cricket when you have been mediocre for about 70% of your Test career.

Kohli started his Test career in 2011 and in the 14 years and counting, he has only been great for about 6 years (2014-2019).

He was mediocre from 2011 to 2014 and he has been a joke from 2020 till date. He just had one purple patch in Test cricket (2015-2019) and he is not even within a mile’s radius of being great either side of that purple patch.

Unless he does something extraordinary in the last 2-3 years of his Test career, he will retire with the same Test legacy as players like Yousuf and Inzamam and someone like Babar can most definitely reach his level in Test cricket over the next 6-7 years because the bar is not that high.

Also, there is no need of pivoting to white ball cricket out of desperation. We are talking about Test cricket only so kindly stick to Kohli’s mediocrity in Test cricket.
Click to expand...

Wasn’t this era supposed to be remembered as the Kohli era not Smith or Root or Williamson era?

Or has that changed now and the era will be remembered as NOT Kohli era?
 
Babar has nothing to be compared to Kohli. His decline was not as bad as Babar's. The only format where Babar still has some credibility and form to show is ODI. in T20s and Tests, he has no credibility left until he makes a strong comeback.
 
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