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What is exactly going on with Babar Azam?

mominsaigol said:
Culprits and their Replacements

1) Abdullah = Replace with Fakhar or Shahibzada Farhan

2) Babar Azam = Not a bad idea to replace him for Kamran Ghulam and give Ghulam a go at no 3 or no 4

3) Rizwan = Replace with Haris and have haris bat at 3 in t20 and 7 in odi, bring Hasan Nawaz at no 4

4) Abrar = Replace with Sufiyan

5) Shaheen = Might be worth trying Salman Mirza in odi despite a poor List A record.

^^ These boys are finished
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If haris plays at 7 that means you will still have the same issue of playing Agha,saim as the 5th bowler.
 
Caved12 said:
In the first ODI, Babar scored 47 and Rizwan made 53, and we won. In the second match, Babar got out for a duck and Rizwan scored only 16, and we lost. The pattern is clear. If even one of them contributes, we have a much better chance of winning. If both perform, the West Indies won’t even come close. That’s how much our ODI team depends on these two.

The rest of the lineup is inconsistent. Most of the players are still developing and need more time, experience, and proper guidance to grow into even half the players that Babar and Rizwan already are.

Babar is clearly struggling right now, but every great player goes through a slump. He will be fine. His class is permanent.

Looking ahead to the next World Cup, here’s the lineup I would go with:

  1. Fakhar
  2. Imam
  3. Babar
  4. Rizwan
  5. Agha
  6. Hasan
This setup gives us a solid top order and some much-needed balance in the middle. As long as Babar and Rizwan are in form, we have a real chance.
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No.

Just no.

No. No. No.
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
I don't care how many years you gave. Respect is earned and flip floppers don't have my respect. I am to you what Bradman is to Rohit ;)
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You are dead to me just like Bradman is dead to Rohit.

Please learn to talk with respect or don’t expect a response from me. I give respect but I also demand it.

No more replies from me unless you learn to address me in a respectful manner.
 
RizwanT20Champ said:
Agreed. Naqvi is a solid guy but Babar needs to go back to opening in T20I. Once he gets his confidence back, he will be just fine across formats. 31 international centuries. There is a reason we call him King.
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The trouble is that Hesson and Aaqib are talking to him behind the scenes, trying to make him realize that he needs to improve his strike rate to be able to play T20 cricket. They’re working with him, but at the same time, they’re refusing to back him or bring him back into the T20 format. That’s messing with his mind, and he’s feeling betrayed.

He’s trying to change, but he’s also upset with how he’s been treated lately by the chairman, coaches, and everyone who has held power over the past two years. You can’t treat your star player like that, especially your only batter who truly knows how to bat and is capable of playing in all formats.

Politics has always damaged Pakistan cricket and will continue to do so. Everyone is power-hungry and playing their own political games behind the scenes, which forces the players to start playing politics too. That kills the whole system and creates a huge mess.

The focus should only be on playing cricket and training with a clear mind. Cricket is not an easy game, it’s very mental. All these outside distractions have no place in a sport like cricket
 
Mamoon does not need me or anyone else to defend him, as he is more than capable of holding his own. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of reading his posts and seeing firsthand what he brings to this forum. He only changes his tone when disrespected; otherwise, he stays in his own world, sharing his thoughts freely and not caring how others perceive him.

Anyone can change their opinion or start seeing things differently over time, and Mamoon is no exception. He is without a doubt the best poster on this forum. In fact, I would say he is the best poster across all online forums and clearly a genius with a very high IQ.

Someone like him, who has given years to this space, deserves great respect. That is just how I see it, and you do not have to agree.

@Mamoon, I have truly enjoyed reading your posts over the years, and I am thankful for having a great poster like you on this forum.
 
Markhor said:
By the time both Babar and Rizwan got out in the 1st ODI, we needed another 101 at a RRR of over 8.

Nawaz and Talat did the heavy lifting to get us over the line.

That's the issue with Babar and Rizwan. Time and again they minimise risk for themselves and maximise it for their teammates.
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We chased it because they built a platform and handed it over to the finishers to close the game. Otherwise, we would’ve been all out around 200. Didn’t you see how our batters struggled in the 2nd ODI? The fact is, they’re not ideal at number 3 and 4. Babar used to be back in the day, but not so much these days. Still, they’re the best we’ve got and are better suited to ODIs
 
Caved12 said:
We chased it because they built a platform and handed it over to the finishers to close the game. Otherwise, we would’ve been all out around 200. Didn’t you see how our batters struggled in the 2nd ODI? The fact is, they’re not ideal at number 3 and 4. Babar used to be back in the day, but not so much these days. Still, they’re the best we’ve got and are better suited to ODIs
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Who are you trying to fool?

Your telling us that Babar and Rizwan consciously built a platform of a required rate of 8 per over for two debutants to chase down?!

Kisko paagal samajh raha hai??
 
Rana said:
Who are you trying to fool?

Your telling us that Babar and Rizwan consciously built a platform of a required rate of 8 per over for two debutants to chase down?!

Kisko paagal samajh raha hai??
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Exactly what I was thinking.

@Caved12

It has not gone unnoticed. Posting 53 and 47 runs but not the strike rates.

Both Babar and Rizwan scored a similar number of runs at a similar strike rate during the first ODI.

100 runs off 133 balls equates to a strike rate of 75. That is terrible in the modern game and at the time of the run chase, set the team back.

The reason Pakistan won that is because the lower middle order finished it off after picking up the slack from your favourite batting duo.
 
Caved12 said:
Mamoon does not need me or anyone else to defend him, as he is more than capable of holding his own. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of reading his posts and seeing firsthand what he brings to this forum. He only changes his tone when disrespected; otherwise, he stays in his own world, sharing his thoughts freely and not caring how others perceive him.

Anyone can change their opinion or start seeing things differently over time, and Mamoon is no exception. He is without a doubt the best poster on this forum. In fact, I would say he is the best poster across all online forums and clearly a genius with a very high IQ.

Someone like him, who has given years to this space, deserves great respect. That is just how I see it, and you do not have to agree.

@Mamoon, I have truly enjoyed reading your posts over the years, and I am thankful for having a great poster like you on this forum.
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Thank you for the kind words. I am truly humbled.

As I told him, I give respect and I also demand respect, especially from new posters. It is basic decency that unfortunately, a lot of people lack. He also seems very young to me, so he lacks respect for his elders too.
 
Caved12 said:
Mamoon does not need me or anyone else to defend him, as he is more than capable of holding his own. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of reading his posts and seeing firsthand what he brings to this forum. He only changes his tone when disrespected; otherwise, he stays in his own world, sharing his thoughts freely and not caring how others perceive him.

Anyone can change their opinion or start seeing things differently over time, and Mamoon is no exception. He is without a doubt the best poster on this forum. In fact, I would say he is the best poster across all online forums and clearly a genius with a very high IQ.

Someone like him, who has given years to this space, deserves great respect. That is just how I see it, and you do not have to agree.

@Mamoon, I have truly enjoyed reading your posts over the years, and I am thankful for having a great poster like you on this forum.
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Do you happen to run Donald Trump's social media too ? All that's missing is the word "stable" before genius.
 
Something was uneasy looking at his pictures flaunting fashion poses and accessories on the Europe tour. We all know he's a proper paindu with a limited world view so combining the antics with a desperate decline in his batting is now not cutting it anymore.
 
Markhor said:
By the time both Babar and Rizwan got out in the 1st ODI, we needed another 101 at a RRR of over 8.

Nawaz and Talat did the heavy lifting to get us over the line.

That's the issue with Babar and Rizwan. Time and again they minimise risk for themselves and maximise it for their teammates.
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Watching that, any one with authority and some decent awareness ought to make sure they never play another ODI for Pakistan; that was my immediate feeling, their partnership literally put me to bed, this was around midnight so I slept like a baby!
 
Rana said:
You won’t like his solutions, nor anyones.

Move Talat and Nawaz to 3 and 4. Drop Shafique when Fakhar is back or replace him with Farhan. Move Harris to 7 to keep.

Go on, that’s a quick fix and a proper solution. Call me a 0iq fan now. Say your usual horse… of “I have to drop 50iq points to engage”.

There is no solution for you. You don’t care about the team, you care about your favourites.
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You didn’t have to oblige 🤡 and the usual cross border tactics, any decent top order prospect from domestic cricket ought to be considered after years of failure, and this was beyond Babar zoids because domestic cricket in Pakistan is a foreign concept for them. Only Indians would wish this much harm on team, the first ODI performances were just criminal. On these pitches even Kamran Ghulam deserved a gig at no.3; he has already pulled Babar & his fans pants down before, your names are pretty much what I had in mind beyond that, we just need to extend what we’re doing in T20I’s to ODI’s, get rid of the snakes asap, Babar will struggle to get into Nepal’s top 3 these days.
 
Caved12 said:
Mamoon does not need me or anyone else to defend him, as he is more than capable of holding his own. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of reading his posts and seeing firsthand what he brings to this forum. He only changes his tone when disrespected; otherwise, he stays in his own world, sharing his thoughts freely and not caring how others perceive him.

Anyone can change their opinion or start seeing things differently over time, and Mamoon is no exception. He is without a doubt the best poster on this forum. In fact, I would say he is the best poster across all online forums and clearly a genius with a very high IQ.

Someone like him, who has given years to this space, deserves great respect. That is just how I see it, and you do not have to agree.

@Mamoon, I have truly enjoyed reading your posts over the years, and I am thankful for having a great poster like you on this forum.
Click to expand...
Regardless of one's views on Mamoons opinions you have written a great post here acknowledging another posters qualities and efforts. Something that is rare in the online space where arguments and trolling are common.

His steadfast commitment in recent times to defend Pakistan cricket is commendable, and his arguments and counter-narratives have punctured Indian propaganda, something that is exceptionally important in these difficult times for our cricket.

This heartfelt tribute is a POTW contender, both for it's praise of an influential poster but it's aknowledgement for the platform PP have given to many talented posters to shape the cricket conversation.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Regardless of one's views on Mamoons opinions you have written a great post here acknowledging another posters qualities and efforts. Something that is rare in the online space where arguments and trolling are common.

His steadfast commitment in recent times to defend Pakistan cricket is commendable, and his arguments and counter-narratives have punctured Indian propaganda, something that is exceptionally important in these difficult times for our cricket.

This heartfelt tribute is a POTW contender, both for it's praise of an influential poster but it's aknowledgement for the platform PP have given to many talented posters to shape the cricket conversation.
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Thank you, brother. I’ve always been more of a reader than a poster here, and I’ve genuinely enjoyed reading far more than posting. Over the years, I’ve greatly admired so many posters on this forum. Posters like you, Mamoon, and countless others have often made my day with your posts, giving me great weekends and evenings when all I wanted was to relax, read, and get lost in this wonderful online world of cricket discussions.

Without a doubt, this is the greatest cricket forum I’ve ever come across. It has given a platform to so many immensely talented posters to share their cricketing knowledge and passion, and I’ve learned so much because of it.

Thanks once again for your kind words, they mean a lot.
 
As few posters have aged they have gotten nasty, hopefully it’s a phase of life and not a behaviour that has been developed.
 
Caved12 said:
In the first ODI, Babar scored 47 and Rizwan made 53, and we won. In the second match, Babar got out for a duck and Rizwan scored only 16, and we lost. The pattern is clear. If even one of them contributes, we have a much better chance of winning. If both perform, the West Indies won’t even come close. That’s how much our ODI team depends on these two.

The rest of the lineup is inconsistent. Most of the players are still developing and need more time, experience, and proper guidance to grow into even half the players that Babar and Rizwan already are.

Babar is clearly struggling right now, but every great player goes through a slump. He will be fine. His class is permanent.

Looking ahead to the next World Cup, here’s the lineup I would go with:

  1. Fakhar
  2. Imam
  3. Babar
  4. Rizwan
  5. Agha
  6. Hasan
This setup gives us a solid top order and some much-needed balance in the middle. As long as Babar and Rizwan are in form, we have a real chance.
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My sincere apologies, no way I’m dropping Saim Ayub. He’s still working his way back to top form after injury, and I’m backing him to come good. Great problem to have with the squad depth we’ve got.

Revised XI:

1. Fakhar

2. Saim

3. Babar

4. Imam

5. Rizwan

6. Agha

7. Hasan

8. Spin or pace-bowling all-rounder depending on pitch conditions. Nawaz or Aamir Jamal

9. Naseem

10. Shaheen

11. Abrar or Sufiyan (on spin-friendly track), otherwise Haris Rauf.

And depending on different situations and pitch conditions, I will even drop a batter and bring in a specialized bowler. There will be drop in pitches, that will most likely favour the pacers as the World Cup will be in South Africa, and Zimbabwe, but more or less the above players will cover it all.
 
Caved12 said:
Revised XI:

1. Fakhar

2. Saim

3. Babar

4. Imam

5. Rizwan

6. Agha
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What have we done to you? Why are you adamant on punishing us? What have we done for you to come up with this ibratnaak middle order???!!

You’ve been watching cricket for 2 decades. You love reading about cricket. How the hell did you come up with this middle order for ODI cricket in 2025????????? Are you stuck in 1965???? Yeh kya hai?! I get freedom of speech and you are allowed to believe in what you want, but this is INSANITY!!!!!
 
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Babar's rough patch is not coming to an end and there are already some reports coming that he could replace fakhar (if inured) for asia cup etc.

Not sure how.

Babar's form is getting worse and worse...
 
YousafTheBeast said:
Didn’t you start a thread on Masood for his ducks😂
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Masood is the worst batsman in Pakistan history, Babar isn't. It is not a big deal if Babar is going through a lean patch, he will recover from it. There are no doubts over his class.
 
Mamoon said:
Masood is the worst batsman in Pakistan history, Babar isn't. It is not a big deal if Babar is going through a lean patch, he will recover from it. There are no doubts over his class.
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Its a 2 year long lean patch? Its now longer then Steve Smith 1.5 year lean patch before BGT.

But Smith is too valuable to ever drop
 
Once it was 1020 days of no centuries for Virat Kohli but people forget that...
 
I’ve already discussed the Imam ul Haq topic in detail months ago in his thread, with the same posters and the same set of questions. Everything has been covered thoroughly, his role, where he fits in the batting order, and how he could adapt. It’s tiring to keep repeating the same points.

ODI cricket can be approached in many different ways, depending on your strengths and the talent you have at your disposal. Pakistan has already tried players like Usman Khan, Irfan, Kamran Ghulam, Tayyab, and others who supposedly fit the aggressive, run-and-gun style. But let’s be honest, they looked out of their depth and were technically not up to the mark. That experiment has already failed.

Imam is not a perfect solution, but he is experienced, averages close to 50 in ODIs, and has shown he can handle quality international bowling. He has a solid technique and has performed in tough conditions. Given the alternatives, he deserves a proper run to see if he can adjust and contribute in a different role, even in the middle order.

We need to pick a team based on the players we have, not some ideal lineup that doesn’t exist. These constant changes and endless chopping are only hurting the team’s progress in ODI cricket. We’ve already discussed this point in this and other threads multiple times.

This is ODI cricket, not T20. People need to stop forcing a T20 mindset onto everything. Play according to your strengths and make the most of the experience and skill available. Or go back to trying the same players who have failed to deliver and watch the team slide even further. That seems to be the alternative.
 
every player goes through the lean patch. Babar is not the only one. Even for a player like Kohli, it took time to bounce back.
JaDed said:
lol he got ridiculed, also this is supposed to be peak age for Babar
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Scored a total of 56 runs across three matches in his best format. It is safe to say that he is finished.
 
Ball Blazer said:
every player goes through the lean patch. Babar is not the only one. Even for a player like Kohli, it took time to bounce back.
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A lean patch may last for a few series or a few months. It doesn’t last for more than two years.
 
Babar aint out of Form.. He has been found out and he cant evolve past it.
Teams plan against him is simple.. Bowl straight length balls and No room to play drives . In first ODI , He was bogged down and Tried to Release pressure by dancing down the track since he cant play release shot from crease to spinner.. second Odi missed a straight ball and castled.. Third ODI missed a Harmless straight ball Trying to cover the swing line.. Umpire call was unfortunate but it was reckoning of his weakness
 
Pakistan’s cricket remains mediocre and will likely continue to do so until broader national issues are addressed.

This is no longer the 1980s, where raw talent alone could consistently win international series. Nor is it the 1980s or 90s, when players could refine their skills and earn a livelihood by playing county cricket abroad. Unfortunately, these days the big money is in T20 leagues, which does not help with key aspects of the game which Pakistani cricketers lack.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, the major cricketing nations — the so-called ‘Big Three’ — have become highly professional, and even countries like New Zealand are now run with a deep-rooted culture of athleticism and sports professionalism.

Once Pakistan addresses its internal challenges, we can expect a chain reaction: improved governance could lead to economic stability, which would attract foreign investment. That, in turn, would create more jobs, increase purchasing power, and generate more funding for sports like cricket. With better resources, Pakistan could then invest in the infrastructure, technology, and professionalism needed to compete with SENA nations and India.

The constant debate over swapping one player for another has been ongoing for over a decade — and it will persist indefinitely unless systemic national reforms are made.

Until then, Pakistanis may need to accept that their cricket will remain mediocre in a sport that itself is not considered globally elite — and that occasional tournament wins will be the exception, driven more by luck than by consistent performance.
 
when he had to improve his batting, he was involved in captaincy politics and PR with his corporation along with his dosti yari group. How can you improve if you dont work on your skills

And you cannot just get in form by practicing in nets and making PR videos for social media. You need to play domestic matches, perform there

I feel he is finished as a top batter. He is very average batter now otherwise how can a top batter throw his wicket like this after playing 20-30 balls against a weak team. I dont understand.
 
Babar, at his peak, was more interested in power politics than improving his game. Now he is completely lost and it’s been two years since he last scored a century.

Someone who was once destined to become one of the greats may now not even be among the Top Pak batters

:kp
 
Wasim Ghulam said:
Babar aint out of Form.. He has been found out and he cant evolve past it.
Teams plan against him is simple.. Bowl straight length balls and No room to play drives . In first ODI , He was bogged down and Tried to Release pressure by dancing down the track since he cant play release shot from crease to spinner.. second Odi missed a straight ball and castled.. Third ODI missed a Harmless straight ball Trying to cover the swing line.. Umpire call was unfortunate but it was reckoning of his weakness
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I will second it. All international team know how to get his wicket. Block his way to score cover drives and dont give him any lose bowl and there he goes.

He is not a power hitter and he depends on bowlers length in order to execute his shots. Plus he is too weak against spin.

He is found out in international cricket like many other pakistani cricketers from past.
 
Should go back to domestic, regain his form and make a come back. Earn a place in team on merit and everything will fall into place
 
adi_62941 said:
when he had to improve his batting, he was involved in captaincy politics and PR with his corporation along with his dosti yari group. How can you improve if you dont work on your skills

And you cannot just get in form by practicing in nets and making PR videos for social media. You need to play domestic matches, perform there

I feel he is finished as a top batter. He is very average batter now otherwise how can a top batter throw his wicket like this after playing 20-30 balls against a weak team. I dont understand.
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unfortunately he is becoming another Umar Akmal career wise.. Only Reason Babar scored more Runs because Babar palyed consistently at top order and Umar Akmal never had any fix position in line up

He has Fitness of Biryani Lover and Fake hype has gotten into his head. no matter how much you criticise him or try to coach him , He will not change his approach or learn new skills.. This year He failed in PSL too .. Second lowest Strike rate among top 20 PSL batters , better only than Saud Shakeel.. This tells you that even going to domestic wont help him.. In his mind he is the King
 
Wasim Ghulam said:
unfortunately he is becoming another Umar Akmal career wise.. Only Reason Babar scored more Runs because Babar palyed consistently at top order and Umar Akmal never had any fix position in line up

He has Fitness of Biryani Lover and Fake hype has gotten into his head. no matter how much you criticise him or try to coach him , He will not change his approach or learn new skills.. This year He failed in PSL too .. Second lowest Strike rate among top 20 PSL batters , better only than Saud Shakeel.. This tells you that even going to domestic wont help him.. In his mind he is the King
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UA and Babar are both different players tbf.

Umar Akmal was a solid talent and was essentially perceived to be similar to Ricky Ponting at no 3. Aka an aggressive batsmen who would finally answer Pakistan's no 3 problem.

Babar was brought in to be a counterpart to the likes of Williamson, Steve Smith and Joe root. Not counting kohli as Kohli is basically Ponting in odi.

Williamson, Steve Smith and Root are all accumulators but with a dangerous 5th gear and the hunger to score valuable runs.

Both of them failed at the role they were suppose to mimick. At present Babar's avg is just slightly > UA.

Avg of 36 vs 33 but the sad part is that babar is a no 3 while UA was downgrades to no 6 where its far harder to maintain a healthy avg.
 
Wasim Ghulam said:
unfortunately he is becoming another Umar Akmal career wise.. Only Reason Babar scored more Runs because Babar palyed consistently at top order and Umar Akmal never had any fix position in line up

He has Fitness of Biryani Lover and Fake hype has gotten into his head. no matter how much you criticise him or try to coach him , He will not change his approach or learn new skills.. This year He failed in PSL too .. Second lowest Strike rate among top 20 PSL batters , better only than Saud Shakeel.. This tells you that even going to domestic wont help him.. In his mind he is the King
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Yes i forgot to mention their family legacy. He is coming from same family of akmals. Inconsistency and low IQ are their pride.

I wonder where is his father now? Before he tried his best to cash his son’s fame by making fazool stories and tweets.

If he did nt improve in last 2 years then he will not in coming years also. I hope he will not be discarded like akmals
 
Mamoon said:
These idiots will back anyone over Babar, but we have to understand that Babar is different class to other Pakistani batsmen even when he’s out of form.

Babar needs to get his act together, there is no doubt about it. However, the chances of him doing that is far higher than the likes of KG and Talat ever becoming good enough to be more useful than Babar. That’s the key point that these idiots aren’t capable of understanding.
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Give it a rest man. It’s not edgy anymore.
 
Sachin fan said:
So after gatekeeping who is a good bowler, and then gatekeeping wit, now you are gatekeeping edginess also?
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Well this gatekeeping has never been applicable to me? I wonder why its applicable to you lol. 🤣
 
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big_gamer007 said:
Pakistan’s cricket remains mediocre and will likely continue to do so until broader national issues are addressed.

This is no longer the 1980s, where raw talent alone could consistently win international series. Nor is it the 1980s or 90s, when players could refine their skills and earn a livelihood by playing county cricket abroad. Unfortunately, these days the big money is in T20 leagues, which does not help with key aspects of the game which Pakistani cricketers lack.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, the major cricketing nations — the so-called ‘Big Three’ — have become highly professional, and even countries like New Zealand are now run with a deep-rooted culture of athleticism and sports professionalism.

Once Pakistan addresses its internal challenges, we can expect a chain reaction: improved governance could lead to economic stability, which would attract foreign investment. That, in turn, would create more jobs, increase purchasing power, and generate more funding for sports like cricket. With better resources, Pakistan could then invest in the infrastructure, technology, and professionalism needed to compete with SENA nations and India.

The constant debate over swapping one player for another has been ongoing for over a decade — and it will persist indefinitely unless systemic national reforms are made.

Until then, Pakistanis may need to accept that their cricket will remain mediocre in a sport that itself is not considered globally elite — and that occasional tournament wins will be the exception, driven more by luck than by consistent performance.
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Good post brother but personally I think the link between national economic issues and the cricket team is overplayed. Governance is a major issue yes but the economic factor is not significant.

If you blindfolded someone in any area of India vs any area of Pakistan, the differences would not be significant. India's successful era has been built on the backs of players like Kohli, Sharma, and Dhoni. They all entered the cricket system when cricket was not that lucrative and the economic foundations of India were just being laid.

When it comes to cricket we are not really suffering from a resource scarcity, but an inefficient use and allocation of resources, driven by poor management. I have said before that if we were to hand over Pakistan cricket to Indian administrators and our franchise cricket to Indian corporates, they could transform it in 1-2 years, no matter the economic state of the country.

With respect, and I don't mean this just about you but about overall Indian approach towards Pakistan, you guys tend to view everything as money/economy related because you are ahead on metrics in this regard. But it doesn't tell the full story and the nuance and complexities of Pakistan are difficult to understand. It is a deeply frustrating place to navigate at times.
 
What stands out with Babar, and sets him apart from other players, is the way he squeals when calling "No"...
 
If Babar has any desire to improve and get his career back on track, he would play a full season of first-class cricket.

But will he do that? No, because he would rather play in some low quality T20 league in Canada or Bangladesh.
 
The_KING said:
If Babar has any desire to improve and get his career back on track, he would play a full season of first-class cricket.

But will he do that? No, because he would rather play in some low quality T20 league in Canada or Bangladesh.
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What kind of improvement do you want to see?
 
There’s nothing wrong with Babar Azam.

The media and overly enthusiastic fans have hyped him up to such an extent that it feels like he single-handedly invented cricket. Now, he’s struggling to live up to the sky-high expectations that were built around him.

just an ordinary cricketer who can bat a bit
 
big_gamer007 said:
Pakistan’s cricket remains mediocre and will likely continue to do so until broader national issues are addressed.

This is no longer the 1980s, where raw talent alone could consistently win international series. Nor is it the 1980s or 90s, when players could refine their skills and earn a livelihood by playing county cricket abroad. Unfortunately, these days the big money is in T20 leagues, which does not help with key aspects of the game which Pakistani cricketers lack.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, the major cricketing nations — the so-called ‘Big Three’ — have become highly professional, and even countries like New Zealand are now run with a deep-rooted culture of athleticism and sports professionalism.

Once Pakistan addresses its internal challenges, we can expect a chain reaction: improved governance could lead to economic stability, which would attract foreign investment. That, in turn, would create more jobs, increase purchasing power, and generate more funding for sports like cricket. With better resources, Pakistan could then invest in the infrastructure, technology, and professionalism needed to compete with SENA nations and India.

The constant debate over swapping one player for another has been ongoing for over a decade — and it will persist indefinitely unless systemic national reforms are made.

Until then, Pakistanis may need to accept that their cricket will remain mediocre in a sport that itself is not considered globally elite — and that occasional tournament wins will be the exception, driven more by luck than by consistent performance.
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Like Deadly Venom, I agree this is a fine post from you however the argument about Pakistan’s economy doesn’t come into it because PCB are one of the richer boards. They’re not exactly broke are they?

They just don’t know how to manage it professionally.
 
emranabbas said:
There’s nothing wrong with Babar Azam.

The media and overly enthusiastic fans have hyped him up to such an extent that it feels like he single-handedly invented cricket. Now, he’s struggling to live up to the sky-high expectations that were built around him.

just an ordinary cricketer who can bat a bit
Click to expand...

This is the reality. Teams have worked him out in the past 2 years and have started bowling better to him and have set better fields for him. He cannot consistently take risks and hit over the top. Every great player has gone through phases where he has struggled for form, confidence and batted under expectations of pressure but they have eventually shown the class, confidence to get out of the slump and rise to the occasion.

Babar is a total fraud and hype job who keeps habitually failing under pressure. He is not as great a player as the media and his social media team have portrayed him to be.
 
I think babar has been effected mentally he has been demoralised he needs professional support pcb has hanled the situation terribly worse cricket board in the world
 
Savak said:
This is the reality. Teams have worked him out in the past 2 years and have started bowling better to him and have set better fields for him. He cannot consistently take risks and hit over the top. Every great player has gone through phases where he has struggled for form, confidence and batted under expectations of pressure but they have eventually shown the class, confidence to get out of the slump and rise to the occasion.

Babar is a total fraud and hype job who keeps habitually failing under pressure. He is not as great a player as the media and his social media team have portrayed him to be.
Click to expand...

Opposition teams have figured out Babar, and whatever little natural talent he had is no longer enough to carry him. But the real issue isn’t just smart tactics from the other side, it’s his poor work ethic.

The best players in the world spend countless hours studying bowlers, refining their technique, and pushing their fitness and mental game to the absolute limit. Babar simply doesn’t show that level of commitment. He seems comfortable sticking to the same approach,

despite bowlers consistently exploiting obvious weaknesses, his predictable shot selection, avoidance of risk over the top, and inability to keep the singles ticking when the heat is on. Babar will not budge in working to sort out his flaws

The lack of effort shows in his repeated dismissals in the exact same ways with no visible improvement.

Whether he’s facing a top-ranked side or a minnow, its as if no lessons have been learned.
 
topspin said:
Like Deadly Venom, I agree this is a fine post from you however the argument about Pakistan’s economy doesn’t come into it because PCB are one of the richer boards. They’re not exactly broke are they?

They just don’t know how to manage it professionally.
Click to expand...
Pcb is the 4th richest board. NZ is the poorest. Ironically NZ is even poorer then WI somehow.

Yet their one of the strongest teams. Pakistan needs to play their C team in order to have a chance against them and that too at home den.

Away den they will drub Pakistan. If they play full strength then zero chance unless Fakhar does something.
 
emranabbas said:
Opposition teams have figured out Babar, and whatever little natural talent he had is no longer enough to carry him. But the real issue isn’t just smart tactics from the other side, it’s his poor work ethic.

The best players in the world spend countless hours studying bowlers, refining their technique, and pushing their fitness and mental game to the absolute limit. Babar simply doesn’t show that level of commitment. He seems comfortable sticking to the same approach,

despite bowlers consistently exploiting obvious weaknesses, his predictable shot selection, avoidance of risk over the top, and inability to keep the singles ticking when the heat is on. Babar will not budge in working to sort out his flaws

The lack of effort shows in his repeated dismissals in the exact same ways with no visible improvement.

Whether he’s facing a top-ranked side or a minnow, its as if no lessons have been learned.
Click to expand...

The batting coaches and legends who have worked with him ie Herscheuele Gibbs, Adam Hollioake, Mohd Yousaf, Wasim Akram have all confirmed on social media, TV interviews that Babar doesn't really accept feedback or implement their tips, suggestions to improve his batting, he sticks to his comfort zone and the results are in front of us.

At the age of 31 I doubt he can really get better. He is not even good enough to get a red ball county contract. The only way he will be pressurized to play a full domestic season at home is when the PCB drops him and leagues stop picking him.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Good post brother but personally I think the link between national economic issues and the cricket team is overplayed. Governance is a major issue yes but the economic factor is not significant.

If you blindfolded someone in any area of India vs any area of Pakistan, the differences would not be significant. India's successful era has been built on the backs of players like Kohli, Sharma, and Dhoni. They all entered the cricket system when cricket was not that lucrative and the economic foundations of India were just being laid.

When it comes to cricket we are not really suffering from a resource scarcity, but an inefficient use and allocation of resources, driven by poor management. I have said before that if we were to hand over Pakistan cricket to Indian administrators and our franchise cricket to Indian corporates, they could transform it in 1-2 years, no matter the economic state of the country.

With respect, and I don't mean this just about you but about overall Indian approach towards Pakistan, you guys tend to view everything as money/economy related because you are ahead on metrics in this regard. But it doesn't tell the full story and the nuance and complexities of Pakistan are difficult to understand. It is a deeply frustrating place to navigate at times.
Click to expand...

Thats the whole point. Like you said if we hand to "Indian" (or any other for that matter like Eng, Aus etc) administrators and corporates which have become professionals due to raising their standards in various metrics, better economy, business culture etc.

To have that we will first have to fix ourselves on the various metrics. We won't just magically turn into competent administrators. And I don't see that happening any time soon, not in the next decade any way. So as Pak fans we should just learn to keep our expectations low and just celebrate the odd victory like Zimbabwe, Ireland etc
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Good post brother but personally I think the link between national economic issues and the cricket team is overplayed. Governance is a major issue yes but the economic factor is not significant.

If you blindfolded someone in any area of India vs any area of Pakistan, the differences would not be significant. India's successful era has been built on the backs of players like Kohli, Sharma, and Dhoni. They all entered the cricket system when cricket was not that lucrative and the economic foundations of India were just being laid.

When it comes to cricket we are not really suffering from a resource scarcity, but an inefficient use and allocation of resources, driven by poor management. I have said before that if we were to hand over Pakistan cricket to Indian administrators and our franchise cricket to Indian corporates, they could transform it in 1-2 years, no matter the economic state of the country.

With respect, and I don't mean this just about you but about overall Indian approach towards Pakistan, you guys tend to view everything as money/economy related because you are ahead on metrics in this regard. But it doesn't tell the full story and the nuance and complexities of Pakistan are difficult to understand. It is a deeply frustrating place to navigate at times.
Click to expand...

Everything is related brother.

1. Good governance will result in a stable and safe country.
2. Stable and safe country will attract foreign investments.
3. Foreign investment will boost the money available and increase purchasing power of society.
4. Purchasing power of society increases, sponsors will pay more money for sports like cricket.
5. More money in sports like cricket, means more development in grassroots (infra, coaching, tournaments etc)
6. More development in grassroots, means better cricketers.

Obviously it will take years for it to show results, India opened its economy in 1991, they reaped results of that in late 2000s, especially after the call centre and IT boom.

No doubt, Indian administrators are better than Pakistani ones, but for Pakistan to reach SENA + India level, it has to fix its country first.

A small example, let’s suppose today PCB gets $10 out of which the corrupt officials in PCB pocket $8 themselves and only use $2 to develop cricket, if economy improves, PCB will get $100 and even if corrupt officials pocket $50 themselves, they will still have $50 to develop the game.
This is the case with Indian cricket, BCCI officials live a rich life and there’s still so much surplus to develop Indian cricket.
That’s the stage Pakistan needs to reach.
 
topspin said:
Like Deadly Venom, I agree this is a fine post from you however the argument about Pakistan’s economy doesn’t come into it because PCB are one of the richer boards. They’re not exactly broke are they?

They just don’t know how to manage it professionally.
Click to expand...

If you read my post, it mentions the first step is to fix the internal struggles, once you have good governance everything else including the economy and cricket will fall into place.

How can you expect cricket to be managed professionally when cricket itself is run by the prime minster of Pakistan (indirectly as he appoints the PCB chairman) and PM of Pakistan is one of the most corrupt positions of the country.
 
DeadlyVenom said:
Good post brother but personally I think the link between national economic issues and the cricket team is overplayed. Governance is a major issue yes but the economic factor is not significant.

If you blindfolded someone in any area of India vs any area of Pakistan, the differences would not be significant. India's successful era has been built on the backs of players like Kohli, Sharma, and Dhoni. They all entered the cricket system when cricket was not that lucrative and the economic foundations of India were just being laid.

When it comes to cricket we are not really suffering from a resource scarcity, but an inefficient use and allocation of resources, driven by poor management. I have said before that if we were to hand over Pakistan cricket to Indian administrators and our franchise cricket to Indian corporates, they could transform it in 1-2 years, no matter the economic state of the country.

With respect, and I don't mean this just about you but about overall Indian approach towards Pakistan, you guys tend to view everything as money/economy related because you are ahead on metrics in this regard. But it doesn't tell the full story and the nuance and complexities of Pakistan are difficult to understand. It is a deeply frustrating place to navigate at times.
Click to expand...
Absolutely spot on.

Afghanistan is a brilliant example of how the right guidance can really make a difference. With support and coaching from India, their cricket has come on in leaps and bounds.

Their players have grown in skill, confidence, and competitiveness on the international stage.
 
Savak said:
The batting coaches and legends who have worked with him ie Herscheuele Gibbs, Adam Hollioake, Mohd Yousaf, Wasim Akram have all confirmed on social media, TV interviews that Babar doesn't really accept feedback or implement their tips, suggestions to improve his batting, he sticks to his comfort zone and the results are in front of us.

At the age of 31 I doubt he can really get better. He is not even good enough to get a red ball county contract. The only way he will be pressurized to play a full domestic season at home is when the PCB drops him and leagues stop picking him.
Click to expand...
I honestly think he’s thrown his career away. With all the support, chances, and resources handed to him, he should’ve achieved so much more. Instead, he’s wasted it
 
mominsaigol said:
Pcb is the 4th richest board. NZ is the poorest. Ironically NZ is even poorer then WI somehow.

Yet their one of the strongest teams. Pakistan needs to play their C team in order to have a chance against them and that too at home den.

Away den they will drub Pakistan. If they play full strength then zero chance unless Fakhar does something.
Click to expand...

Sums up how reliant Pakistan have been on expertise from overseas.

During the 70s, 80s and 90s, Pakistan's best raw talent were nurtured by proper mentors/coaches in county cricket. Imagine going from this to Misbah.
 
G0rmintAunty said:
Thats the whole point. Like you said if we hand to "Indian" (or any other for that matter like Eng, Aus etc) administrators and corporates which have become professionals due to raising their standards in various metrics, better economy, business culture etc.

To have that we will first have to fix ourselves on the various metrics. We won't just magically turn into competent administrators. And I don't see that happening any time soon, not in the next decade any way. So as Pak fans we should just learn to keep our expectations low and just celebrate the odd victory like Zimbabwe, Ireland etc
Click to expand...
until Pakistan raises its overall standards and genuinely commits to professionalism, we’re doomed to repeat the same cycle, hype, hope, and disappointment. I do believe the younger generation could be a different breed, but like you said, it’ll take at least a decade or two. Right now, we’re easily 20 years behind India.
 
He's not played intl. cricket for about 4 months. During this time I don't know if he was working on resolving his weaknesses or not. But he looks worse as a player than last time.

He needs to be dropped and discarded for sometime until he works on his deficiencies.
 
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