Do you agree with Babar Azam's inclusion in the T20I squad for the series against South Africa?

[Snowflake]

Just like any there should be a justification for dropping a player from the team, there should be a justification for bringing a player back in the team.

You can't just drop a player, bide some time, and then bring him back with zero performance and hope that it will be different this time around. That is just foolishness. What has changed in Babar's game since he was dropped? What has he done differently?

 

[Ball Blazer]

He is back on ex players and journalists pressure, and public interest most likely not on performance or merit. People still love babar on his past performances and odi performances.

It's Hesson's choice. He is backing Babar

 

[Rana]

It's Hesson's choice. He is backing Babar

Keep telling yourself that.

Hesson was backing Harris, Fakhar, Agha etc too….

Tab bolti kyun band thy?

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

Haris was always going to be bad. I’m not really surprised. I thought he’d be better with the gloves than he was though. Usman has a far higher chance of doing better given he actually did dominate/was the best performer in PSLs and domestic both average and SR. Haris didn’t really impress me even in domestic. I do think Usman is more suited opening in t20s though and of course no guarantee he will perform. But a higher chance than Haris I feel. And Usman hasn’t been given a proper long run in a settled position yet.

Fakhar is a bad player in t20s, who probably would have had a better career had he batted down the order at 4 or 5 most of his career. He was wasted trying to either open or play him at no.3. However it’s probably time we move on from him.

At 3 there has been no one that’s shown to be reliable to glue this fragile line up together filled with unreliable batsmen who have a potential to strike quicker. In fact at no.3 we’ve rarely ever had good batsmen ever. Babar coming in doing a job at 3, provided he can do what he has done in the past at 3 would be an asset to the team.

However I think Babar should only play at no.3 now. Farhan actually has shown greater ability to hit boundaries even if his sr has been weighed down a bit by poor rotation of strike. I feel it actually aids the aggressive openers strategy if there is someone reliable at 3. Too many times in Asia cup, once one of the openers fall, we’d have someone unreliable like Haris etc. at 3 and they’d just run through the order.

Personally I’d like Farhan and Usman to open, Babar at 3. Don’t think it’ll happen as they’ll try and fit Saim in as opener.

Solid post. I have no problem if people want to drop RizBar or even Bradman. Issue is your replacements Fakhar is a failure at T20I, Agha and Harris are pathetic tullas. Farhan is the only semi decent one but he was striking at 116.

 

[BouncerGuy]

Keep telling yourself that.

Hesson was backing Harris, Fakhar, Agha etc too….

Tab bolti kyun band thy?

Fakhar and salman are still there.. Do you back khushdils and Hussain talats??

Crazy..

 

[heddie19]

You fanboys claim he is some world-class superstar, then you end up counting his 30s, 40s and 50s as match-winning and crucial knocks.

What rubbish? When have you seen other world-class players being judged by such contributions?

Kohli was said to have declined horribly in the past few years, but he has played a million of these knocks you just listed in your post.

Many of us have compared him with Kohli in the past seeing his uphill trajectory. That was until 2022. He couldn't live up to the hype and he is definitely not as hardworking as Kohli even if they have the same amount of skill and talent so he will go down as an inferior batter to him. But despite that, he is by far your best batter across formats for past 10 years now. That needs to be respected.

 

[TheSultan]

You “fans” will never learn. The guy is finished and he wasn’t even great to begin with

 

[Rana]

The team looks so so bad with him back

Completely hopeless team and selection

His fitness is as bad as Umar Akmal’s

 

[Asif321]

Welcome back king

 

[PakFan2010]

Pakistan fans who chant Babar have very low IQ.

 

[Rana]

Pakistan fans who chant Babar have very low IQ.

This might offend you but they are all pretty much Imran Khan supporters

 

[heddie19]

This might offend you but they are all pretty much Imran Khan supporters

Both Babar and IK are the heartbeat of Pakistanis. So poor their haters are always constipated and can't digest that fact.

 

[Local.Dada]

Give it a rest. Any batsman can be out for a duck. Had he played 20(30) type knock you can blame him. Have some patience

 

[Rana]

Give it a rest. Any batsman can be out for a duck. Had he played 20(30) type knock you can blame him. Have some patience

Yes, Younis Khan was also a gun ODI batter

 

[Local.Dada]

Yes, Younis Khan was also a gun ODI batter

I never said that.

 

[Rana]

I never said that.

Tu ne kaha ya na ho. Teri fitrat main aisi chawliya mojud hain!

 

[Local.Dada]

Tu ne kaha ya na ho. Teri fitrat main aisi chawliya mojud hain!

Oh so you are attacking me because you think I might say it . That’s chawal supreme in my book.

 

[SherWaqar]

Both Babar and IK are the heartbeat of Pakistanis. So poor their haters are always constipated and can't digest that fact.

Putting Babar in the same sentence as a legend .. Or is it sarcasm

 

[ads101]

I think he needs to be dropped from all formats. He’s just out of form.

Let him get his confidence and form back from domestic and then bring him back in. Start with the loi sides.

Babar as a player in form is an asset in Loi. But there’s no point of him out of form.

 

[tiger_khan]

This might offend you but they are all pretty much Imran Khan supporters

Who do you support?

 

[RyanRyan10]

Give it a rest. Any batsman can be out for a duck. Had he played 20(30) type knock you can blame him. Have some patience

Then why you defend Rizwan's 55 (49) chasing 171?

 

[Local.Dada]

Then why you defend Rizwan's 55 (49) chasing 171?

Different scenario

 

[jnaveen1980]

Babar is following his idol kohli. Two ducks and a 50 after that in match winning cause

 

[Local.Dada]

Babar is following his idol kohli. Two ducks and a 50 after that in match winning cause

50 in dead rubber I assume

 

[heddie19]

Putting Babar in the same sentence as a legend .. Or is it sarcasm

in their own seperate context of course. Doesn't mean they're comparable.

 

[Dr_Bassim]

Once again, if you expect mediocre players to win you matches, you deserve to lose.

There are literally 2 knocks you can remember in Babar's entire career against top class attacks or sides and those are not legendary either.

There are many Pakistani batsmen better than him from yesteryear.

 

[Hitman]

Many of us have compared him with Kohli in the past seeing his uphill trajectory. That was until 2022. He couldn't live up to the hype and he is definitely not as hardworking as Kohli even if they have the same amount of skill and talent so he will go down as an inferior batter to him. But despite that, he is by far your best batter across formats for past 10 years now. That needs to be respected.

Same amount of skills and talent as Kohli?

 

[Sachin fan]

in their own seperate context of course. Doesn't mean they're comparable.

You literally said they have the same amount of skill and talent. So what's your ID on ICF?

 

[BouncerGuy]

There are many Pakistani batsmen better than him from yesteryear.

Which ones???

 

[TheSultan]

Which ones???

Is this even a question?

Zaheer Abbas
Majid Khan
Javed Miandad
Saleem Malik
Saeed Anwar
Inzi
Yousuf
Younis
Ijaz Ahmed

I’d even back Amir Sohail to play for me instead of Babar.

At the rate he’s going, even Umar Akmal will end up having a better record.

Babar is poor technically, has no presence, no confidence, no swagger, can’t play spin, can’t change gears, he’s declining very fast against fast bowling too.

The guy is done and dusted, he should retire

 

[BouncerGuy]

Is this even a question?

Zaheer Abbas
Majid Khan
Javed Miandad
Saleem Malik
Saeed Anwar
Inzi
Yousuf
Younis
Ijaz Ahmed

I’d even back Amir Sohail to play for me instead of Babar.

At the rate he’s going, even Umar Akmal will end up having a better record.

Babar is poor technically, has no presence, no confidence, no swagger, can’t play spin, can’t change gears, he’s declining very fast against fast bowling too.

The guy is done and dusted, he should retire

He said yesteryear.... Now answer

 

[TheSultan]

He said yesteryear.... Now answer

You mean to say these guys are still playing ?

 

[RizwanT20Champ]

Is this even a question?

Zaheer Abbas
Majid Khan
Javed Miandad
Saleem Malik
Saeed Anwar
Inzi
Yousuf
Younis
Ijaz Ahmed

I’d even back Amir Sohail to play for me instead of Babar.

At the rate he’s going, even Umar Akmal will end up having a better record.

Babar is poor technically, has no presence, no confidence, no swagger, can’t play spin, can’t change gears, he’s declining very fast against fast bowling too.

The guy is done and dusted, he should retire

LOL! When you hate someone the bias is real. Firstly what formats are we comparing, none of those guys played T20 so we compare Tests and ODIs. How many of those guys have 31 100s?

From that list only Miandad, Zaheer, Yousuf, Younis and maybe Anwar are worth considering. Younis was terrible in ODIs and Anwar was not flash in tests. Combining ODIs and Tests, at WORST Babar is in the top 5 in our entire history, will likely finish with 60 international centuries by the time he finishes and may surpass all of them eventually. We can discuss his credentials as a T20I batter, but in ODIs he is arguably our GOAT batter. In tests he has fallen away but only Miandad, Inzi, Yousuf and YK are definitely better in tests.