Babar Azam - the lack of English debate

[oatmeal]

Pakistan cricketers can barely speak better than Ugandans, and here you are comparing these dehati paindus to Indian cricketers

Speaking English is not some indespensible skill, its easily achievable by putting in some effort. Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar (to some extent) are all very fluent but they werent very good at it when they were playing. Imran I think studied in England so was always really good at spoken english.

But more than speaking english, being fluent in the language opens up a lot of discussions and a huge knowledgebase to players that likely doesnt exist in Hindi or Urdu. so the players can learn from the legends instead of relying only on seniors to pick up vital skills.

Also it creates post playing careers for them in media

 

[Usman Chadda]

Actually it’s a great question because of a possible (ie I’m not sure and Pakistani fans will have to chime in) underlying cultural phenomenon.

So what I think is that in India the game has become one where the middle class (apart from other sections) has taken a huge interest in the game as a career option for their children - because of the fame and money involved. Hence the elites are signing up to play cricket. And hence greater control over English, etc (on average).

Yes Indian cricket has also democratised hugely - people from lower classes such as Rinku Singh are great examples. But simultaneously middle classes are taking a huge interest also.

My conjecture is that Pakistan on the other hand has seen its economic and social middle class moving away from the game, because it’s not a viable option (so middle class parents don’t encourage their children to play the game professionally). So when you once had guys like Imran Khan, Wasim Raja, Zaheer Abbas, today it’s different. The players are largely coming from economic strata where English isn’t part of their own learning experience growing up.

It’s not just about English anymore, that certain aspect is having a severe affect in how these players are too dumb to even think about the tactical side of cricket.

We are represented by 11 illiterate human beings, who can only explain their good and bad performances by the marzi of Allah.

 

[kach]

Its just a language that many of our players are exposed to and it is the language for global communication.
Pakistan has colonial mindset, they look down on their players for not speaking english. Its just a language. What you do on the field matters more.

 

[rickroll]

For a more serious reply, English in India is a unifying language, more so than Hindi. It's obvious that people will speak it a bit better than Pakistan where I believe Urdu and Punjabi covers it all?

This is a great point. My intention was not to put down our team but I was just curious about my observation.

 

[cricketcricket79]

Pakistani players don't even speak well in Urdu.

Exactly. Babar is incomprehensible even when he speaks in his own language (Urdu?). Not sure lack of English is that much of a factor.

 

[Statpadder Inc]

Exactly. Babar is incomprehensible even when he speaks in his own language (Urdu?). Not sure lack of English is that much of a factor.

Isn't his mother tongue Punjabi

 

[JaDed]

Posters are right Babar doesn’t even speak Urdu well, wonder if he prefers Punjabi?

 

[cricketcricket79]

Isn't his mother tongue Punjabi

I do not know. May be. I am guessing he is not a good speaker in Punjabi either but I may be wrong. Someone who have heard him speak in his mother tongue can tell if he is a good speaker.

 

[riddu]

send his to speech therapy doctor ... and treat brain power

 

[introvert]

If 9th standard drop out Hardik pandya can speak well then why can't Babar Azam speak confidently? There is no excuse for not making an effort.

Babar should hire some mentor. He should be one of the biggest brand of Pakistan just like Kohli is for INDIA.

 

[usman.sandhu]

If 9th standard drop out Hardik pandya can speak well then why can't Babar Azam speak confidently? There is no excuse for not making an effort.

Babar should hire some mentor. He should be one of the biggest brand of Pakistan just like Kohli is for INDIA.

Babar needs to learn how to bat before hiring a mentor to improve his English..

Weak and timid player who looks all at sea when facing quality opponents.. a walking wicket..

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

English is just a language. Expressing yourself is more important. Babar cannot even do that in English/Punjabi.
What is Saya corp doing? it is there responsibility to train him @Rana @topspin @mominsaigol

 

[aqua99]

One doesn’t need English proficiency if all you are going to credit “qudrat ka nizam” for victory. Skills and articulation are not needed anyway.

 

[wasim-fan]

More than command over English language, it's the lack of articulation capabilities even in their mother tongue that should be disconcerting.

 

[Savak]

Ramiz was a disastrous CEO. His most damaging contribution to Pakistan Cricket is creating this fraudulent King Babar hype train and giving him king like powers in Pakistan Cricket ie select the playing 11, squad of 15 you want. It was also under Ramiz Reign and Saqlain Mushtaq where the team started ignoring modern fitness, nutrition regime. Atleast Misbah as coach ensured zero compromise on fitness and the team atleast did well in Pakistani pitches.

 

[mominsaigol]

English is just a language. Expressing yourself is more important. Babar cannot even do that in English/Punjabi.
What is Saya corp doing? it is there responsibility to train him @Rana @topspin @mominsaigol

I do not know honestly my dude. @Rana Has more insights on this matter. I'm waiting for more things to come to light before I make my judgement

 

[Statpadder Inc]

Does any Pakistani poster know what kind of background Babar had.

Did he grow up in a poor or a upper middle class family?

Is a city kid or does he comes from a pind?

 

[mominsaigol]

Does any Pakistani poster know what kind of background Babar had.

Did he grow up in a poor or a upper middle class family?

Is a city kid or does he comes from a pind?

I've met babar irl, he lives in lahore, and he's pretty chill irl. The family isn't poor, they were middle class and when babar was growing up it became rich due to the akmal brothers.

But he isn't educated because he made the decision to pursue cricket at a young age.

 

[chinaman00]

Pakistan cricketers can barely speak better than Ugandans, and here you are comparing these dehati paindus to Indian cricketers

What do you mean “Pakistan cricketers can barely speak better than Ugandans”?

Comment shows your lack of knowledge and nothing more. Nearly every Ugandan speaks English! I have travelled to both Pakistan and Uganda. Even in remote villages, Ugandans speak English fluently.

The literacy rate of Uganda is 81%…..Pakistan’s literacy rate is 62%

If you wanna make racist comment, at least get your facts right!

 

[Usman Chadda]

What do you mean “Pakistan cricketers can barely speak better than Ugandans”?

Comment shows your lack of knowledge and nothing more. Nearly every Ugandan speaks English! I have travelled to both Pakistan and Uganda. Even in remote villages, Ugandans speak English fluently.

The literacy rate of Uganda is 81%…..Pakistan’s literacy rate is 62%

If you wanna make racist comment, at least get your facts right!

Yeah my post was in poor taste.

Ugandans are actually quite educated.

 

[chinaman00]

Yeah my post was in poor taste.

Ugandans are actually quite educated.

Thanks for owning up your mistake. Shows maturity.

Thanks.

 

[Varun]

It's also surprising that Pakistan cricketers don't develop their language/soft skills over the course of their career, while their Indian counterparts do: look at Jadeja from 2009 vs now (just one example).

 

[Sycamore]

Babar can't even articulate himself in urdu forget about english.

 

[chinaman00]

It's also surprising that Pakistan cricketers don't develop their language/soft skills over the course of their career, while their Indian counterparts do: look at Jadeja from 2009 vs now (just one example).

Old school Pakistani cricketers used to: Javed Miandad, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis etc. The socio-cultural decline of Pakistan as a nation in the 1990s is to blame, in my opinion.

 

[Rana]

English is just a language. Expressing yourself is more important. Babar cannot even do that in English/Punjabi.
What is Saya corp doing? it is there responsibility to train him @Rana @topspin @mominsaigol

Babar speaks queens English and has great taste in Music. He was listening to ‘beat it’ by Michael Jackson on his way to training at NCA. He knows the lyrics and the deeper meanings they hold in the context of the situation

Babar doesn’t need Saya, Saya needs Babar

 

[Master Blaster]

Papa New Guinea then?

Ours might be the most illiterate bunch out of all the international teams.

Rizbar both are Harvard University graduates.
PCB invested a lot for their degrees.

 

[Josh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811791180935405605

 

[Rana]

Deleted tweet by Babar’s account

 

[offstump]

Deleted tweet by Babar’s account

cutters? Hahahaha, not only is he illiterate but he seems to have zero cricketing knowledge whatsoever. I love how he puts himself on this pedestal replying to ATG players as if he’s in the class.

 

[Cover Drive Six]

cutters? Hahahaha, not only is he illiterate but he seems to have zero cricketing knowledge whatsoever. I love how he puts himself on this pedestal replying to ATG players as if he’s in the class.

Maybe Babar thought Mustafizur had retired.

 

[zarak]

cutters? Hahahaha, not only is he illiterate but he seems to have zero cricketing knowledge whatsoever. I love how he puts himself on this pedestal replying to ATG players as if he’s in the class.

It's unlikely that he wrote it

 

[topspin]

cutters? Hahahaha, not only is he illiterate but he seems to have zero cricketing knowledge whatsoever. I love how he puts himself on this pedestal replying to ATG players as if he’s in the class.

And to top it all off, he gets someone to put up his substandard cricketing knowledge in perfect English.

 

[BouncerGuy]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811791180935405605

Deleted tweet by Babar’s account

It is not deleted. It is still there. He changed cutters to swing just.

 

[Josh]

It is not deleted. It is still there. He changed cutters to swing just.

Yeah editted cutters to swing

 

[Rana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811961871747932283

How can Rizwan stay quiet if Babar has posted?

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Where is the congratulatory post for Virat and Rohit Mr Babar?
I love how he tweets as if he is at the same level as these legendary players

 

[RidiculousMan]

cutters? Hahahaha, not only is he illiterate but he seems to have zero cricketing knowledge whatsoever. I love how he puts himself on this pedestal replying to ATG players as if he’s in the class.

What can you expect from a guy who said the reason why they picked Hasan Ali in the Ireland & English squad is because they needed experience and someone to bowl at the death. As we have new ball bowlers like Zaman Khan.

"New ball bowlers like Zaman". Dude Zaman is literally one of the best death bowlers you have.

 

[mominsaigol]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1811961871747932283

How can Rizwan stay quiet if Babar has posted?

Best of luck Jimmy? Who does rizzu think he is?

 

[RidiculousMan]

Best of luck Jimmy? Who does rizzu think he is?

Superman of Pakistan Cricket

 

[Master Blaster]

He was being sarcastic...

 

[mominsaigol]

Surprise to me bro.i read on a mothers day article like his mom was saving every penny as there were poor and spending on his bats to see him thrive. I see Saya's pr Is very powerful

Bro media throws the word coming from poverty for every rich and famous person.

For example for addison ray they said she was a girl living in a trailer and was next to homeless but then discovered tiktok and became the 4th most followed user and became rich. Which is ironic since both her parents are Hollywood directors and she knew the kardashins way before tiktok.

Then for Jeff bezos their multiple videos on how he went broke to billionaire, even though dude went to Princeton, his mother was born into wealth and he relieved 800,000 usd( adjusted today for inflation, back then it was around 400 to 500K).

Don't believe these broke to Millionaire stories. Media does that for everyone because people want an inspirational story and not a spoilt brat story.

In Babar’s case, yes he did work hard to get to where he is. He's frustrating now, but before his position of captaincy, he genuinely achieved alot like 3 back to back centuries against WI to get to where he is, But it doesn't change the fact

A) The akmals were Middle class before cricket.

B) While babar was growing up, he was already rich due to The Akmal's being Mumtimillionaires.

C) The akmals fast tracking him into cricket.

Credit to babar for being more talented then them, but he isn't your average poor boy. That's like saying azam khan was born into poverty lmao because media said so.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Mohammad Rizwan Shakespeare

 

[SpiritOf1903]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889751976688177527

 

[Slim]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889751976688177527

Cooked babar there.

 

[Rana]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889751976688177527

This Beretzkee guy is the same mould as Gibbs as well. Proper character!

 

[mominsaigol]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1889751976688177527

This was savage from gibbs oof

 

[BouncerGuy]

People will keep making a mess about english but what really matters is game. Babar needs to improve his game first. All this english urdu stuff is secondary

 

[FearlessRoar]

He is right in English he can't express his point of view well so he should only speak and address the media in Urdu.

 

[Rana]

Gibbs explaining T20 batting to Babar:

“you know ball? When full…in this area?….in slot area? Yes? When ball in this area….loft, hit hard, in air! You know in air? Hawaa? In sky? Yes??”

Bobsy: Aah jee definitely!

 

[mominsaigol]

Gibbs explaining T20 batting to Babar:

“you know ball? When full…in this area?….in slot area? Yes? When ball in this area….loft, hit hard, in air! You know in air? Hawaa? In sky? Yes??”

Bobsy: Aah jee definitely!

Gibbs, Hit ball high in the sky into the stands.

Babar: okay, i sit in the stands for you, and tell fakhar to hit ball high.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1902779014122512714

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Not only is Babar on this ship but I m sure Haris and Shaheen are also struggling to understand what Mitchell is saying.