[PICTURES/VIDEOS] The curious case of Babar Azam in Tests

[Hawkeye]

Unfortunately his defensive technique is not up to a test standard batsman also Akmal genetics means he is not a good learner his test career is done and dusted get Usman or Saad in his place from the next test

So all your argument is based on "genes" and hate.

Clueless.

 

[Hawkeye]

How successful was Kohli early on in his career, that too in english conditions?
By no means of the stretch of the imagination am i comparing them but, give the guy some time.... he played really well in england in 2016 prior to all of his hype..... Not a major fan of him walking of scoring 14 but lets give him a chance, I believe he's just lacking that one big score

Needs to stay in and around the test team for the next couple of years Maybe not playing all the time but needs to be given a opportunity where possible

Im sure he will work out a method to be a long term success

Well said.

 

[Savage]

He should be persisted.

 

[Mamoon]

Unfortunately his defensive technique is not up to a test standard batsman also Akmal genetics means he is not a good learner his test career is done and dusted get Usman or Saad in his place from the next test

He is a notch above Umar, and has done more in three years than the former in nine. He has a higher caliber and plays with more responsibility. Considering our batting stocks at the moment, he should be given a longer rope to see if he can find his feet in this format.

11-12 Tests are nothing in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Xoib]

So all your argument is based on "genes" and hate.

Clueless.

No I have seen enough of him to know that his defensive technique is not test class let alone world class.He is another hafeez looks good driving and cutting but his defensive game is very poor also he is weak mentally and selfish like Hafeez

 

[KyoOne]

The lad is one of the highest scorers in recent Pakistan T20 cricket, agree on the test format but come on the guy has major scores in T20I

Against depleted Windies and Exhibition World x1, thats it? And one fifty otherwise.

He's too slow for t20 cricket, and for someone who's always played in top 3 does not have many dominating knocks even in PSL and CPL

 

[Baigel]

Come on Man, The guy averages 50 In Two formats and is regarded as an upcoming talent by many.... At the end of the day nobody cares how you scored the runs, who you scored them against all that people look at is how much you have scored. Nobody goes and looks at who tendulkar scored his runs against.... and no one cares who wasim scored his 250 against all they look at is how much they've scored. And your statement about his strike rate is going to be proved very wrong very very soon

 

[Amjid Javed]

Needs to dropped for the england tests. If we are playing just 5 batsmen and we have a weak opening pair and a walking wicket in middle order then babar needs to be dropped.

 

[Hawkeye]

So where are the Fawad Alam fans who wanted Babar dropped?

First they wanted Imam dropped then Babar.

Now hiding somewhere.

 

[babajee]

So where are the Fawad Alam fans who wanted Babar dropped?

First they wanted Imam dropped then Babar.

Now hiding somewhere.

Only Fawad Alam has grit and determination which is the most important quality in a batsman [MENTION=136079]ahmedwaqas92[/MENTION]

 

[ads101]

I still don't see him succeeding in the England tests really, I don't think he's ready, and doesn't really display much confidence at the crease.

Better to keep him now though since he got a good knock and we've only got one practice game in between. He certainly has the ability to succeed in tests.

 

[Abid Z]

He’s a fantastic player. Needs time. Grant flower needs to do his job. Everybody else need to relax.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Only Fawad Alam has grit and determination which is the most important quality in a batsman [MENTION=136079]ahmedwaqas92[/MENTION]

Bas Kar do! I am not a Babar hater but this inning was his first major contribution in test cricket after his 90* against New Zealand which was TWO YEARS AGO.

I will acknowledge that this was a very decent knock, however, we were playing against a nation who was competing in its first ever test and the lad got a reprieve right after lunch when the Irish slipper dropped a complete dolly.

He also basically hit his way into some sort of form and for that I will give him credit but now that he's shown that he has mentally overcome that Test match block which he previously had, I expect from him consistency because if he can't give us consistency then what is the difference between UAE bashers such as Asad/Azhar and or Babar?

That's the simple POV I hold right now!

 

[giri26]

You can just go back and forth on a player based on one innings. Yes he played a very good innings but again his average is still under 30. A player becomes good only when he strings few good performances together. If he performs well against England next month then yes I would call it a turning point. If he fails there then we are back to square one.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

kohli failed in his first go at test and was rightly dropped. Don't thing Babur is so extreme a talent that its worth carrying him at avg 25.

Babar can't be dropped. He is pakistan's best batsman and future. They will have to let him gain that confidence in the tests.

 

[Hawkeye]

So where are the Fawad Alam fans who wanted Babar dropped?

First they wanted Imam dropped then Babar.

Now hiding somewhere.

Still Babar haters nowhere to be seen.

Or some might be happy now that he's injured.

 

[babajee]

Bas Kar do! I am not a Babar hater but this inning was his first major contribution in test cricket after his 90* against New Zealand which was TWO YEARS AGO.

I will acknowledge that this was a very decent knock, however, we were playing against a nation who was competing in its first ever test and the lad got a reprieve right after lunch when the Irish slipper dropped a complete dolly.

He also basically hit his way into some sort of form and for that I will give him credit but now that he's shown that he has mentally overcome that Test match block which he previously had, I expect from him consistency because if he can't give us consistency then what is the difference between UAE bashers such as Asad/Azhar and or Babar?

That's the simple POV I hold right now!

I hope your POV is changing

Stats are important but sometimes we need to use our eyes to judge if a player is worth investing in.

 

[Cric1234]

Still Babar haters nowhere to be seen.

Or some might be happy now that he's injured.

After 1 innings? Let him average over 40 first he's nowhere near at the moment Fawad is definitely a more deserving selection than Imam.

 

[MeanAndGreen]

Injury is a huge blow, really felt he was turning a corner in tests since the Ireland knock.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

I'm extremely glad he will shut up his haters with his past 2 knocks. High time people realize that players go through ups and downs but class, indeed, is permanent.

 

[Zakaz]

I agree with this thread tbh, Babar needs to be dropped from tests so he can focus on LOC, otherwise poor performances in Test cricket can take a toll on his performances in LOC.

 

[Shandarchowka]

I agree with this thread tbh, Babar needs to be dropped from tests so he can focus on LOC, otherwise poor performances in Test cricket can take a toll on his performances in LOC.

Yes drop the only promising batsman from the lineup. We deserve this mediocrity.

 

[MenInG]

I agree with this thread tbh, Babar needs to be dropped from tests so he can focus on LOC, otherwise poor performances in Test cricket can take a toll on his performances in LOC.

He needs to be given more confidence but also these guys need to work in the nets also - someone needs to tell them their issues etc

 

[Zakaz]

Yes drop the only promising batsman from the lineup. We deserve this mediocrity.

Only from tests, to make sure his performances in LOC don't deteriorate.

 

[Shandarchowka]

He needs to be given more confidence but also these guys need to work in the nets also - someone needs to tell them their issues etc

I don't understand what these guys have done between the games and extra 2 days as they get finished within 3 days. They're playing the same old shots. Only Sarfraz showed some spine and stuck it out. Are the coaches only for showcase or do they actually work on weaknesses of batsmen?!

 

[Gullycricket]

I don't understand what these guys have done between the games and extra 2 days as they get finished within 3 days. They're playing the same old shots. Only Sarfraz showed some spine and stuck it out. Are the coaches only for showcase or do they actually work on weaknesses of batsmen?!

Cant really fault the coaches.When a batsman who has been playing for 8 years cant play Shot balls and an opener who is T20 player is playing tests what can we expect?

 

[MenInG]

Courageous stuff from Babar after being hit on the ribs by Olivier but is there a problem in his technique or the bowling too good?

 

[Fahdi]

Courageous stuff from Babar after being hit on the ribs by Olivier but is there a problem in his technique or the bowling too good?

Not much one can do if the ball misbehaves like that. A few balls before it kept low and then it bounced extra.

 

[yasir]

Courageous stuff from Babar after being hit on the ribs by Olivier but is there a problem in his technique or the bowling too good?

Nothing wrong with technique, was very unlucky with those two balls, one die down other jump so sharply from good length...

He has best technique out of all Pakistanis, unlucky to be playing with tail all the time. I hope next test series he plays at 4. Plus We continue to play 5-2-3 mode till batters are developed. Asad and Azhar has been huge disappointment

 

[Abdullah]

Not much one can do if the ball misbehaves like that. A few balls before it kept low and then it bounced extra.

Courageous stuff from Babar after being hit on the ribs by Olivier but is there a problem in his technique or the bowling too good?

He has had some rough balls in this series.
This ball misbehaved, last game one hit his shoulder off a good length. He got out to 1 which kept low on day 1 2nd test.
To put those out of your mind and bat the way he has is commendable.
Need him to go on

 

[hadi123]

Courageous stuff from Babar after being hit on the ribs by Olivier but is there a problem in his technique or the bowling too good?

Can't blame that on the technique, the ball bounced abnormally, it's a bit like if you're driving and a car just comes out of nowhere to crash into you, just nothing you can do about balls like that, it just reared after pitching

 

[Xoib]

Babar the test batsman is soft

There I said it it's been 3 years since his debut and not a single match winning test hundred.His record in Aus is especially appalling average less then 10 after 7 test knocks.

Discuss.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Plays too many shots at the moment , needs to be a little bit patient in test cricket. He is not sehwag.

 

[Xoib]

Plays too many shots at the moment , needs to be a little bit patient in test cricket. He is not sehwag.

I had the same concern in Sa where he failed to kick on despite looking a million dollars then batted in the warm ups in the same fashion he just does not trust his defensive technique in test cricket which is a shame since I think he has a game to succeed in test cricket.

 

[Hyperion66]

He is decent but nowhere near the top bats in the world in test format. I knew he would flop, already predicted this much before this series.

Now I may get bashed for this but I think his loi form will go south from here, he is not someone who thrives under pressure or comfortable around hype and expectations. Now that he has been officially declared as Pak's best bat, I am curious to see how he handles that responsibility going forward. He will still be considered Pak's finest since Inzi, I just don't think he will be counted among world's top bats in next 3-4 years.

As of now he is still one the best in limited overs cricket.

 

[jiduguravindra]

Need to get big hundreds, pretty 30 or 40s won't work in longer format.He seems to be in hurry to score runs rather than playing ball on merit, maybe he is not too confident of his defense.If he continues to plays like this,scoring on tougher pitches is very difficult.He has to learn to grind it out and has to realise that scoring in the longest format is not as easy as they come in limited overs.

 

[JibranAnsari]

I had the same concern in Sa where he failed to kick on despite looking a million dollars then batted in the warm ups in the same fashion he just does not trust his defensive technique in test cricket which is a shame since I think he has a game to succeed in test cricket.

This year he has scored 145 runs and 120 of them have come in boundaries and sr above, he is playing way too many shots and one them brings his downfall. Last year he averaged 56 and his sr was 54 , 312 of his 616 runs came in boundaries. Getting runs in south africa while playing his shots freely probably messed with his brains and recently in the A game he got runs at good click. He needs to adjust his game in test cricket.

 

[Omer2002]

he played an awful shot today i must admit..big let down but he is our best bat

 

[Bhaijaan]

I assure everyone in Pakistan that it is just a matter of time before Bobby starts hitting centuries in test cricket.

He's going through a transformation crisis.

By nature he is a controlled aggression batsman like Damien Martyn who has been forced to play counter attacker Ponting type role. He is capable of doing both but you must know when a player changes his game it takes time.

 

[Bhaijaan]

he played an awful shot today i must admit..big let down but he is our best bat

Please watch Tendulkar in 2004 tour.

Kohli in England

It happens to great batsmen. Chasing ball outside off is not a disease of ordinary batsmen

 

[MenInG]

Mickey Arthur on Babar

"Babar loves batting, he will try to reset his red-ball cricket and his game plans. In Australia especially, you have to be strong for your first 20 balls. They set up the innings for you. Babar was far too loose, once he gets through those 20 balls, he gets a feel of the conditions and the bowling and he's hard to get out. He has to give himself the best opportunity to get in"

 

[Xoib]

I know it was an odi but he should look at his world cup knock vs NZ and follow that he was very solid in his defense vs Boult and Ferguson and still punished the loose balls he can defend good bowling he has the skills it's more of a mindset issue.

 

[topspin]

Haven't seen his dismissal as yet, but I was very disappointed to see he had just added one run to the scoreboard.

If he's unable to make amends in the remaining three innings, sadly it will be unlikely for him to average 40+ in Australia by the end of his career.

 

[tyron_woodley]

he is clearly gold but has temperamental issues.
Anyway he should Improve. Give him time.

 

[Hasan123]

He will come good in tests. He got out to a poor shot today.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Overrated clown! For Asia tests Misbah should recall himself to the team and replace Babar . Even though he's 45 he's still good enough to do well in Asia

 

[unemployedgm]

Babar hasn't played enough First Class Cricket. When he has played, he hasn't been elite.

 

[Khan12]

Overrated clown! For Asia tests Misbah should recall himself to the team and replace Babar . Even though he's 45 he's still good enough to do well in Asia

Only a shameless misbah fan will this.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Enough of excuses. Babar has played enough cricket to do better than that. His record in Australia is a disgrace. Need to do better in the next 3 innings. Single digit contributions kill your team's chances.

 

[The streak is Alive]

I had the same concern in Sa where he failed to kick on despite looking a million dollars then batted in the warm ups in the same fashion he just does not trust his defensive technique in test cricket which is a shame since I think he has a game to succeed in test cricket.

I brought up the same point after his knocks against Steyn. While it made for good viewing, it was a gung-ho nothing to lose approach. Not the approach of a man that's in control of what he is doing. To be honest his biggest challenge will be to stop glory hunting and put aside his ego. He can attack all he wants to when he is deep into his innings.

I urge Pakistani fans to judge him based on his actions, and not on the words he uses in the interview (Desi folks frequently indulge in false modesty because they are shy and diffident).

 

[Abdullah719]

I brought up the same point after his knocks against Steyn. While it made for good viewing, it was a gung-ho nothing to lose approach. Not the approach of a man that's in control of what he is doing. To be honest his biggest challenge will be to stop glory hunting and put aside his ego. He can attack all he wants to when he is deep into his innings.

I urge Pakistani fans to judge him based on his actions, and not on the words he uses in the interview (Desi folks frequently indulge in false modesty because they are shy and diffident).

He was much more circumspect in the UAE Tests late last year because we were mostly in the game.

In SA, he came in to bat when the situation was difficult and there wasn't much to lose.

 

[Shazzam]

Overrated clown! For Asia tests Misbah should recall himself to the team and replace Babar . Even though he's 45 he's still good enough to do well in Asia

Yes lets bring back a man who will give us a nice sleep.

 

[WengerOut]

He was much more circumspect in the UAE Tests late last year because we were mostly in the game.

In SA, he came in to bat when the situation was difficult and there wasn't much to lose .

Exactly. Also SA had ultra attacking fields coz of their vast superiority in those matches when he came to bat. Plus the small boundaries as well. In Aus, he has to deal with big boundaries. Also he is now there main batsman. So, he has to earn the runs.

 

[aloo paratha]

It's just one innings, he'll come good.

 

[The streak is Alive]

He was much more circumspect in the UAE Tests late last year because we were mostly in the game.

In SA, he came in to bat when the situation was difficult and there wasn't much to lose.

Well he is currently batting at #5. The game is more often than not likely to be in the balance when he comes in. He must've thought... I'll smash the Aus bowlers same as I did Steyn. Even if I get a quick fire 3-40 with a couple of cute cover drives, people will start going crazy back in Pakistan.

 

[Bhaijaan]

People have forgotten that it was Bobby who retired legendary Dale Steyn.

 

[Usman Chadda]

People need to leave him alone. One failure, and everyone is on to him like a rash. This is what is frustrating about Pakistan fans and the media. There is just no middle ground for us. Either the player is a superstar or he is akin to the sole of our shoes.

 

[Abdullah719]

Well he is currently batting at #5. The game is more often than not likely to be in the balance when he comes in. He must've thought... I'll smash the Aus bowlers same as I did Steyn. Even if I get a quick fire 3-40 with a couple of cute cover drives, people will start going crazy back in Pakistan.

He made an error in judgement. The ball was a few inches short of being the half-volley that he thought it was. You can probably get away with that on tracks with lesser bounce.

As a pro cricketer, his job is to score runs and make sure he remains a part of the Test team, not please some social media fans. I'm fairly sure he realises that.

 

[Abdullah719]

People need to leave him alone. One failure, and everyone is on to him like a rash. This is what is frustrating about Pakistan fans and the media. There is just no middle ground for us. Either the player is a superstar or he is akin to the sole of our shoes.

The over-hyping and bashing are both very tiresome.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

People need to leave him alone. One failure, and everyone is on to him like a rash. This is what is frustrating about Pakistan fans and the media. There is just no middle ground for us. Either the player is a superstar or he is akin to the sole of our shoes.

But averaging 30 odd after more than 20 tests is very poor. I am sure our greats like Younis Khan, Yousuf etc. were already proven by that time.

 

[Abdullah719]

But averaging 30 odd after more than 20 tests is very poor. I am sure our greats like Younis Khan, Yousuf etc. were already proven by that time.

Younis was averaging around 38 after 33-34 Tests. It was his 267 at Bangalore which elevated his Test career onto another level.

Yousuf was averaging 34 after 24 Tests.

 

[dhump]

He followed a ball for no reason can happen to anyone lets see what comes next. I think making any further assumptions based on this one inning is not correct. His red ball game is unproven and maybe Test is just not his format but we need a little bit of patience before this conclusion.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

People have forgotten that it was Bobby who retired legendary Dale Steyn.

Nothing special about wacking around a old and past it Steyn. What retired Steyn was Sr Lanka of all teams beating SA. Nothing to do with Babar Azam.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Younis was averaging around 38 after 33-34 Tests. It was his 267 at Bangalore which elevated his Test career onto another level.

Yousuf was averaging 34 after 24 Tests.

Ok that actually does give me some hope but Babar's got to step step it up soon regardless.

 

[Hitman]

People have forgotten that it was Bobby who retired legendary Dale Steyn.

He averaged 35 in that series. Some great achievement hitting a few pretty looking boundaries off a past his prime Dale Steyn who was returning after a surgery.

 

[Hyperion66]

Younis was averaging around 38 after 33-34 Tests. It was his 267 at Bangalore which elevated his Test career onto another level.

Yousuf was averaging 34 after 24 Tests.

Younis already had 5 centuries under his belt by the time he was 20 tests old. How conveniently you ignored that part!! Younis was a out and out impact player right from his debut test. Laughable to compare Babar with Younis based on selective stats.

 

[HappyWarsFan]

He averaged 35 in that series. Some great achievement hitting a few pretty looking boundaries off a past his prime Dale Steyn who was returning after a surgery.

Exactly. Nothing good about hitting 37 year old Steyn around the park. We need proper test players. Why does PP get so hyped up whenever a batsmen plays some 'sexy' looking shots even though they have 0 temperament?

 

[Usman Chadda]

But averaging 30 odd after more than 20 tests is very poor. I am sure our greats like Younis Khan, Yousuf etc. were already proven by that time.

We are yet to see him at his best in Test cricket. Too good a player to not do well in any format. It's taken you guys ONE innings to devalue his worth? Atleast let him play the entire series, and then start the bashing?

 

[HappyWarsFan]

Younis already had 5 centuries under his belt by the time he was 20 tests old. How conveniently you ignored that part!! Younis was a out and out impact player right from his debut test. Laughable to compare Babar with Younis based on selective stats.

Think he scored a ton debut as well which almost saved Pakistan vs SL. Against the likes of Murali.

 

[Hyperion66]

Think he scored a ton debut as well which almost saved Pakistan vs SL. Against the likes of Murali.

Younis's 3rd/4th innings stats is impressive AF, he didn't play pretty cover drives but actually won and saved matches for his team, Babar would be lucky to achieve half of what Younis accomplished in tests.

 

[JaDed]

He needs one tough 100 here and he will figure it out.

 

[Abdullah719]

Younis already had 5 centuries under his belt by the time he was 20 tests old. How conveniently you ignored that part!! Younis was a out and out impact player right from his debut test. Laughable to compare Babar with Younis based on selective stats.

The post was about averages and I responded to the point raised.

Yousuf had 3 tons after 21 games, 5 for Younis.

Babar has a 99 and a 90* where he ran out of partners, should have had 3 tons by now. The main concern is that his FC track record with regards to scoring hundreds isn't very strong. If he had played more matches this season in the QEA Trophy, he might have been able to rectify that considering the ball-change and the nature of the pitches but the international schedule is such that as long as he's a part of the Pakistan squad, he's unlikely to get many FC games which is the norm for most international players. So he'll have to learn as he goes along.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Younis was averaging around 38 after 33-34 Tests. It was his 267 at Bangalore which elevated his Test career onto another level.

Yousuf was averaging 34 after 24 Tests.

Great post.

I remember precisely before Yoni hit that memorable 267, everyone was criticizing his appointment as vicey. People were like who is this vicey, ain't no vicey so useless like him. Then he hit a legendary knock from out of nowhere.

I still regard that inning as one of the greatest hit on Indian soil.

 

[barah_admi]

Babar was averaging close to 50 over the last year before this test. Nothing wrong with that for a young player making his way in a weak batting line up.

He will perform this series.

 

[Hyperion66]

The post was about averages and I responded to the point raised.

Yousuf had 3 tons after 21 games, 5 for Younis.

Babar has a 99 and a 90* where he ran out of partners, should have had 3 tons by now. The main concern is that his FC track record with regards to scoring hundreds isn't very strong. If he had played more matches this season in the QEA Trophy, he might have been able to rectify that considering the ball-change and the nature of the pitches but the international schedule is such that as long as he's a part of the Pakistan squad, he's unlikely to get many FC games which is the norm for most international players. So he'll have to learn as he goes along.

You used Younis' average at that point of his career to defend Babar Azam of today, I find that misleading since is doesn't show the complete picture, if we are comparing stats for selective periods we need to take all the possible parameters and variables into account otherwise it will be just stat manipulation nothing else.

Regarding the rest of your post let us agree to disagree.

 

[Minnowbasher]

Babar atm in tests seems like at best he will become like Joe Root. Someone that will score on occasions but is much more hype than actual performance.
Insha Allah I am proved wrong and Babar achieves his potential of becoming a top test batsman only after the likes of Kohli and Smith.

 

[barah_admi]

Babar atm in tests seems like at best he will become like Joe Root. Someone that will score on occasions but is much more hype than actual performance.
Insha Allah I am proved wrong and Babar achieves his potential of becoming a top test batsman only after the likes of Kohli and Smith.

Root before the last 18 months was a lot more performance than hype. He had actually scored more tests runs than Kohli this decade yet was not talked about at that level.

 

[Pete Rose]

I wouldn’t read too much in to this dismissal. Clarity of purpose is very important. His approach was ok, but his execution was poor.

 

[Relic]

People are criticising him way too early. This was his first innings so should be just disregarded as a mere mistake. If he doesn't score in the next innings and/or in the next test match then criticising him would seem fair but imo now is too early.

 

[The Viper]

It was a very poor shot.

Babar needs to get in and grind out for a while before playing his shots.

But don’t rule him out yet, I back to score in the second innings.