Why is Babar Azam so underrated (outside Pakistan)?

[OmarKhan99]

To many on here test cricket is still the pinnacle of the game.

Lara made that epic 277 in only his fifth test. Sachin made a couple of fifties against Pakistan as 17 year old that left a lasting impression on the Pakistani bowlers. I'm not saying Babar will end up anywhere near as good as those 2 but I saw nothing positive from him at all from those 3 tests against Australia. Very timid, no positive intent whatsoever from his batting and you wonder why he isn't rated outside of Pakistan.

He is only 23 still and should only get better from here however unless he goes down the Umar Akmal path. It will be interesting to see how he fares away against England next year.

Bro, that generation and period is long past. Even though I believe Test Cricket is truly the pinnacle of cricket and that Babar should perform much better, but at the moment the subject of the matter is the hype surrounding players. Recently, we have the likes of Virat, Rohit, de Kock, Warner and many others, all of whom were hyped after their LOI outings. I'm not saying if that this justifies Babar's poor Test performance to date, but after all these performances it's quite surprising when someone calls him "overrated."

 

[Flat_Track_Bully]

BA in 2017

 

[CricketAnalyst]

BA in 2017
View attachment 77761

Any white-ball stat without Strike Rate belongs in the dustbin.

 

[Mamoon]

I am not in the mood of taking prisoners so I will be honest about my assessment of Babar.

I think he is a hugely talented batsman, the most gifted we have produced in the last 15 years. However, he will not reach the heights people are hoping for because a) I think he is selfish b) he is soft - I don't see that determination in his eyes and that fire in his belly.

I think he is another Mohammad Yousuf in the making, which is wonderful for our lowly standards, so he should enjoy a long and prosperous career. However, we should not expect him to be a defining player, and he certainly hasn't been so far. We have beaten SL and WI without his help before him and we will continue to do so long after he is gone.

However, I don't see him as someone who will stand up to the world class sides because I don't think he is hungry enough. The difference between him and the likes of Hasan and Shadab as far as attitude is concerned is quite striking. It is easy to see how much they want to win.

People should stop comparing him to the likes of Kohli who will walk barefoot on coal to succeed. That is how badly he wants to win games for India. Or even Joe Root, notwithstanding the wretched time he is having a wretched time at the moment, rushed out of a hospital to try and save a lost game for England, until it became physically impossible for him to carry on.

The way he approached his hundred when chasing 370 against Australia is a good reflection of the direction his career is heading, and the reason why he won't win over people outside Pakistan and will thus remain 'underrated'.

 

[zain7077]

I am not in the mood of taking prisoners so I will be honest about my assessment of Babar.

I think he is a hugely talented batsman, the most gifted we have produced in the last 15 years. However, he will not reach the heights people are hoping for because a) I think he is selfish b) he is soft - I don't see that determination in his eyes and that fire in his belly.

I think he is another Mohammad Yousuf in the making, which is wonderful for our lowly standards, so he should enjoy a long and prosperous career. However, we should not expect him to be a defining player, and he certainly hasn't been so far. We have beaten SL and WI without his help before him and we will continue to do so long after he is gone.

However, I don't see him as someone who will stand up to the world class sides because I don't think he is hungry enough. The difference between him and the likes of Hasan and Shadab as far as attitude is concerned is quite striking. It is easy to see how much they want to win.

People should stop comparing him to the likes of Kohli who will walk barefoot on coal to succeed. That is how badly he wants to win games for India. Or even Joe Root, notwithstanding the wretched time he is having a wretched time at the moment, rushed out of a hospital to try and save a lost game for England, until it became physically impossible for him to carry on

The way he approached his hundred when chasing 370 against Australia is a good reflection of the direction his career is heading, and the reason why he won't win over people outside Pakistan and will thus remain 'underrated'.

You need to take age i to consideratipn, I dont recall Kohli or Root playing any breathtaking knocks at age 23 apart from Adelaide v Sri Lanka and the 183?

 

[Abdullah]

Will be a top player for us. Needs to be managed by Mickey appropriately coz he is not in the Shadab hasan mould in terms of desire.
We shouldn't be looking to have go each time he fails and start questioning him

 

[Mamoon]

You need to take age i to consideratipn, I dont recall Kohli or Root playing any breathtaking knocks at age 23 apart from Adelaide v Sri Lanka and the 183?

I don't think it is about performance with respect to age. It is all about attitude, and cricket is a game of character. Steve Waugh achieved twice as much as his younger brother with half the talent.

In terms of attitude, I see a world of difference between a 23 year old Kohli and a 23 year old Babar, even if the latter has performed better so far.

Babar needs to challenged and dragged outside his comfort-zone. Someone needs to kindle some fire in his belly, and Mickey is the best man to do it. However, ultimately, the passion has to come from within. People can try, but no one can make you hungry for success - no one, but you.

 

[Lynx]

He's not going to be our version of Kohli, Smith or Root, that's for sure. Many believed and still believe he's in that class. He's scoring runs for fun against SL/WI but the moment he has to step up against a decent team, he's failed. I don't remember any substantial innings by him against one of the better sides. I think he's actually regressed from when he first broke on to the scene, when he was playing at a consistently decent SR throughout his innings. He's gotten more selfish as his career has progressed, and starts off his innings slowly indeed. More often than not makes impact-less centuries against inferior opposition. Even the one he scored against Australia was there for all to see, chasing a big target. He trotted along at a SR of 60-70 for the better part of the innings.

I completely agree with [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], he seems to be another Mo Yousuf in the making.

 

[Mamoon]

He's not going to be our version of Kohli, Smith or Root, that's for sure. Many believed and still believe he's in that class. He's scoring runs for fun against SL/WI but the moment he has to step up against a decent team, he's failed. I don't remember any substantial innings by him against one of the better sides. I think he's actually regressed from when he first broke on to the scene, when he was playing at a consistently decent SR throughout his innings. He's gotten more selfish as his career has progressed, and starts off his innings slowly indeed. More often than not makes impact-less centuries against inferior opposition. Even the one he scored against Australia was there for all to see, chasing a big target. He trotted along at a SR of 60-70 for the better part of the innings.

I completely agree with [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], he seems to be another Mo Yousuf in the making.

He needs to be challenged, everything has come easy to him in his career so far. He has been under the PCB's wing since the age of 13 and has been given the golden boy treatment. He has coasted through so far due to which his character development has not been strong, and he has become soft.

 

[shaz72]

I am not in the mood of taking prisoners so I will be honest about my assessment of Babar.

I think he is a hugely talented batsman, the most gifted we have produced in the last 15 years. However, he will not reach the heights people are hoping for because a) I think he is selfish b) he is soft - I don't see that determination in his eyes and that fire in his belly.

I think he is another Mohammad Yousuf in the making, which is wonderful for our lowly standards, so he should enjoy a long and prosperous career. However, we should not expect him to be a defining player, and he certainly hasn't been so far. We have beaten SL and WI without his help before him and we will continue to do so long after he is gone.

However, I don't see him as someone who will stand up to the world class sides because I don't think he is hungry enough. The difference between him and the likes of Hasan and Shadab as far as attitude is concerned is quite striking. It is easy to see how much they want to win.

People should stop comparing him to the likes of Kohli who will walk barefoot on coal to succeed. That is how badly he wants to win games for India. Or even Joe Root, notwithstanding the wretched time he is having a wretched time at the moment, rushed out of a hospital to try and save a lost game for England, until it became physically impossible for him to carry on.

The way he approached his hundred when chasing 370 against Australia is a good reflection of the direction his career is heading, and the reason why he won't win over people outside Pakistan and will thus remain 'underrated'.

Yaar, Do you see a single positive in any pakistani player? I never saw any post which may have come in praising pak player.

 

[Madplayer]

Yaar, Do you see a single positive in any pakistani player? I never saw any post which may have come in praising pak player.

He is 100% spot on as far as babar's attitude is concerned. Babar has the talent to be Pakistan's answer to the Fab 4 but its his attitude which is not allowing him to get to the next level. I am one of the biggest supporters of his but over a period of time i have realized :

1)Babar seems like a soft player, even softer than the likes of Amla. Mental toughness seems far away from him as of now.

2) it doesnt look like he has enough hunger to improve.

3)His attitude while batting is terrible. Never looks determined at the crease. Looks very loose at times. If runs come, its okay, if not, still okay. A reactive rather than proactive approach.

4) He does have a habit of throwing it away after getting to a milestone and slowing down considerably before reaching it. This gives an impression he is selfish, although it might be simply because he isnt strong enough to slog at the back end of the innings and gets out trying.

5) the age factor can only be used so much. Attitude doesnt depend on age always. Looks at shadab.

 

[Sarfarazian92]

Still waiting for a match-winning knock against a decent bowling attack ...

 

[paklvr_82]

Rofl underrated!!! He is overrated.

Babar Azam is the biggest overseas dud for Pakistan, a selfish player with a strike rate game of around 60-70. From Pakistan tour to England 2016, Ireland, Champions Trophy to New Zealand he has been zilch and achilles heel for Pakistan side.

If this guy alongwith continues to play, Pakistan has by 55% lost the NZ series 5-0 .

 

[Pete Rose]

He needs to be challenged, everything has come easy to him in his career so far. He has been under the PCB's wing since the age of 13 and has been given the golden boy treatment. He has coasted through so far due to which his character development has not been strong, and he has become soft.

he is the asad shafiq of the odi team, sadly

 

[Lefthanded]

He's Pakistan class, not world class.

As others have said: Too slow, too selfish and has scored against minnow-level attacks and/or easier conditions.

As for under-rated outside? Would anyone who isn't Pakistani and really follows Australia, England, SA, India pick him in their Test or ODI sides? Maybe England in Tests, but their Test #3 averages 20 odd after 12 Tests.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Needs to start getting runs against better ODI sides in world and getting meaningful runs aswell.

 

[babajee]

Too much wrist slitting going on here. It’s not a lack of ability it’s the mindset. He seemed to be very low on confidence in the last innings but I expect him to bounce back

 

[Bilal7]

Just a dip in form. He's going to become our first genuine ATG ODI batsman and dare I say it, surpass Virat Kohli. He doesn't need to be a destroyer of bowling attacks, he bats in the top order and has a great bowling attack to keep the opposition's runs under check. What he does need to do is work on becoming an all-conditions batsman. That will make him a legend in the age of flat track bullies.

 

[Gubol123]

Just a dip in form. He's going to become our first genuine ATG ODI batsman and dare I say it, surpass Virat Kohli. He doesn't need to be a destroyer of bowling attacks, he bats in the top order and has a great bowling attack to keep the opposition's runs under check. What he does need to do is work on becoming an all-conditions batsman. That will make him a legend in the age of flat track bullies.

You are underselling Babar here

 

[Usman Chadda]

He is 100% spot on as far as babar's attitude is concerned. Babar has the talent to be Pakistan's answer to the Fab 4 but its his attitude which is not allowing him to get to the next level. I am one of the biggest supporters of his but over a period of time i have realized :

1)Babar seems like a soft player, even softer than the likes of Amla. Mental toughness seems far away from him as of now.

2) it doesnt look like he has enough hunger to improve.

3)His attitude while batting is terrible. Never looks determined at the crease. Looks very loose at times. If runs come, its okay, if not, still okay. A reactive rather than proactive approach.

4) He does have a habit of throwing it away after getting to a milestone and slowing down considerably before reaching it. This gives an impression he is selfish, although it might be simply because he isnt strong enough to slog at the back end of the innings and gets out trying.

5) the age factor can only be used so much. Attitude doesnt depend on age always. Looks at shadab.

You have to understand the kind of pressure he is under, at the age of 23. He is essentially the backbone of this ODI team. If he fails, everything goes to pot. Everyone forgets their roles and there's a muddled approach. The batting line-up revolves around Babar Azam right now and for a 23 year old, who at this point of his career has technical deficiencies, that's a lot to ask. He doesn't come across as a mentally strong individual and to thrust such a responsibility onto him is making him go into a shell time and time again. Pakistan relies on Fakhar to provide a start and for Babar to play through the innings. If anything goes wrong with that strategy, we effectively surrender the game there and then.

 

[pkckt]

To be honest too much is being expected of the poor lad, you can see how annoyed he gets when he's constantly being compared to Kohli and everyone rates him within the dressing room as the biggest thing that's happened to Pak cricket in a while. Really want to see him find his footing in the longer format, with all the ugly sloggers these days Babar plays strokes that are just so pleasing to watch. His 90 in NZ last tour had strokeplay of a true legend of the game, unfortunately for him though he's born in Pakistan, had he been an English or Aussie they would have groomed him to be one of the modern day greats but reality is harsh isn't it.

 

[CadPakFan]

I find that where I live in Canada most Pakistani fans overrate him if anything calling him the next Inzamam and ext

 

[PakSarZameen]

He is a good player who will retire with an average of 40+. In fact he will have the highest batting average for any Pakistan player minimum 100 ODIs played.

People are expecting too much from him.

 

[Syed1]

If tomorrow we play SL or WI he will hit run a ball or better hundred.

 

[babajee]

If tomorrow we play SL or WI he will hit run a ball or better hundred.

Bro he’s done well against NZ before.. why the hate all of a sudden?

 

[Syed1]

Bro he’s done well against NZ before.. why the hate all of a sudden?

I still rate him... But did you see his innings yesterday? Scored 10... 8 off which were through edges through the slip cordon eventually getting out to a tailender-esque hack with zero foot movement. Didn't look like a 50+ average batsman. If we don't play SL/WI for a long time his average will come down to a more accurate 36-40.

 

[babajee]

I still rate him... But did you see his innings yesterday? Scored 10... 8 off which were through edges through the slip cordon eventually getting out to a tailender-esque hack with zero foot movement. Didn't look like a 50+ average batsman. If we don't play SL/WI for a long time his average will come down to a more accurate 36-40.

Yeah I did. He’s clearly lacking confidence.

But he has the talent and ability to maintain his average of 50+.

 

[Madplayer]

You have to understand the kind of pressure he is under, at the age of 23. He is essentially the backbone of this ODI team. If he fails, everything goes to pot. Everyone forgets their roles and there's a muddled approach. The batting line-up revolves around Babar Azam right now and for a 23 year old, who at this point of his career has technical deficiencies, that's a lot to ask. He doesn't come across as a mentally strong individual and to thrust such a responsibility onto him is making him go into a shell time and time again. Pakistan relies on Fakhar to provide a start and for Babar to play through the innings. If anything goes wrong with that strategy, we effectively surrender the game there and then.

I can understand the pressure he has at a young age but his attitude doesnt look good at all. I am not asking him to match Kohli at his age but at least show more intent on the field. He simply goes through motions it seems. Young batsmen at his age are oozing confidence. Even younger guys like shadab, who also have a lot of pressure on them have a healthy attitude.

Perhaps you dont know this, but i have been the biggest supporter of Babar wayyyy before he was even selected for the team. Back then many people didnt even know him. I sincerely believe he has the ability to be one of the best players in the world. He has the talent and technique. But if he doesnt sort out the mental part, he wont reach anywhere.

 

[Snatch]

Jeez, stop being so needy, insecure and sensitive Pakistan fans. Babar is a promising young player, no doubt. But he's only played 30 odd matches, he'll need to play a few more to be recognized as one of the greats going around. Just be patient.

Trust me, there's no world conspiracy out there to underrate Pakistan players, if they're great they'll get recognized as so soon enough. Example: Imran, Miandad, Wasim & Waqar

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

He needs to be challenged, everything has come easy to him in his career so far. He has been under the PCB's wing since the age of 13 and has been given the golden boy treatment. He has coasted through so far due to which his character development has not been strong, and he has become soft.

So the fact that the PCB nurtured a promising talent from a young age and took him through the stages of international cricket properly is a bad thing now? He had the numbers to back his selection into the team when he debuted, so its not like him being selected was unwarranted. He is being compared by many to players like kohli because he himself worked hard to get to this level and overcame all the challenges presented to him. Saying that everything has come easy to him in his career so far is, at best, misinformed and, at worst, pathetic.

 

[Humza_Razzaque]

I was wondering maybe we should open with Fakhar And Babar ,babar would anchor the inning where as Fakhar would destroy the opposition,They would give us a PERFECT START maybe He can learn the Art of sloging from Fakhar too

 

[Mamoon]

So the fact that the PCB nurtured a promising talent from a young age and took him through the stages of international cricket properly is a bad thing now? He had the numbers to back his selection into the team when he debuted, so its not like him being selected was unwarranted. He is being compared by many to players like kohli because he himself worked hard to get to this level and overcame all the challenges presented to him. Saying that everything has come easy to him in his career so far is, at best, misinformed and, at worst, pathetic.

It is not a bad thing, but spoon-feeding is often detrimental to character development. Babar was lucky to be born with a lot of talent, but everything else has been put in place for him.

He has had a very conductive and supportive environment from the start. He was allowed to play at the NCA at the age of 10 and had access to the most qualified coaches in the country.

By the time he was old enough to play hard ball cricket, his cousin was Pakistan’s WK.

Unlike some of the other players, he did not have to toil in the streets waiting for an opportunity and he did not have to borrow shoes from other people, neither did he have to travel to different cities hoping to get noticed at a trial or a talent hunt.

He didn’t face any opposition from his family and he did not have to worry about being the bread earner.

The difference between him and someone like Rohan Gavaskar is the fact that he was lucky enough to be talented. You can provide the most conductive environment to a young player to thrive in, but ultimately he has to be good enough to deliver.

On a small scale, we can cite the example of Masood as well. He wasn’t brought up in a cricketing environment, but he has been given numerous opportunities to improve and prove himself, but his lack of ability has held him back.

Babar has not faced the challenges most of our other players have faced, and he has not had to overcome the same obstacles. There is comparison between his journey to international cricket and Kohli’s.

I am not saying that Babar’s attitude is lackluster because of the golden boy treatment. However, it could be one of the reasons. It is not hard to get complacent in the environment that he grew up in and the facilities that he had access to.

 

[Mamoon]

Nothing to worry folks, our great friend Bilal has already declared that he will be better than Kohli.

 

[Red Devil]

Pakistani fans are so damn fickle, it's just embarrassing.

He'll be hailed as the next Viv Richards when he finds some form and scores a few runs.

 

[AssassinatedDevil]

It is not a bad thing, but spoon-feeding is often detrimental to character development. Babar was lucky to be born with a lot of talent, but everything else has been put in place for him.

He has had a very conductive and supportive environment from the start. He was allowed to play at the NCA at the age of 10 and had access to the most qualified coaches in the country.

By the time he was old enough to play hard ball cricket, his cousin was Pakistan’s WK.

Unlike some of the other players, he did not have to toil in the streets waiting for an opportunity and he did not have to borrow shoes from other people, neither did he have to travel to different cities hoping to get noticed at a trial or a talent hunt.

He didn’t face any opposition from his family and he did not have to worry about being the bread earner.

The difference between him and someone like Rohan Gavaskar is the fact that he was lucky enough to be talented. You can provide the most conductive environment to a young player to thrive in, but ultimately he has to be good enough to deliver.

On a small scale, we can cite the example of Masood as well. He wasn’t brought up in a cricketing environment, but he has been given numerous opportunities to improve and prove himself, but his lack of ability has held him back.

Babar has not faced the challenges most of our other players have faced, and he has not had to overcome the same obstacles. There is comparison between his journey to international cricket and Kohli’s.

I am not saying that Babar’s attitude is lackluster because of the golden boy treatment. However, it could be one of the reasons. It is not hard to get complacent in the environment that he grew up in and the facilities that he had access to.

Spoon-feeding can definitely be detrimental to character development but I dont see it as a bad thing in his case.

The case of Babar is an anomaly when it comes to pakistan cricket. As you said, he is one of those few players identified before his pre-teens who was guided by the right people at the right time, and we can largely see the fruits of all that hard labour. Regardless of what people say, he has been the most consistent player in the pak team in the last couple years.

He didn't have to toil in the streets for chances to come to him but that is the usual tale for most PAKISTANI players. Players from Australia, england and many other first world countries dont usually have the responsibilities that come with being the sole bread earner. Opposition from family in regards to having careers in sports is pretty rare in first world countries as well. Perhaps the reason he has been alot more successful than his teammates in general is due to all these factors working in favour of him and not against him. His attitude in general seems fine to me tbh. At such a young age he carries himself quite gracefully compared to his cousins and the only reason we still have discussions about him being underrated overseas and draw comparisons to kohli is because of the ridiculously high standard he has set so far in his career.

Obviously, we dont know all the obstacles he faced in his journey to international cricket but he has been relatively successful regardless. He might not have the fiery aggression or attitude towards the game that someone like kohli might have but they are 2 different players entirely and one is just at the beginning of his career so only time will tell how they compare towards the end.

 

[Hasan123]

Nothing to worry folks, our great friend Bilal has already declared that he will be better than Kohli.

Embarrassing statement.

 

[Hasan123]

Babar will be fine. He can't perform in every game.

 

[MeanAndGreen]

I am not in the mood of taking prisoners so I will be honest about my assessment of Babar.

I think he is a hugely talented batsman, the most gifted we have produced in the last 15 years. However, he will not reach the heights people are hoping for because a) I think he is selfish b) he is soft - I don't see that determination in his eyes and that fire in his belly.

I think he is another Mohammad Yousuf in the making, which is wonderful for our lowly standards, so he should enjoy a long and prosperous career. However, we should not expect him to be a defining player, and he certainly hasn't been so far. We have beaten SL and WI without his help before him and we will continue to do so long after he is gone.

However, I don't see him as someone who will stand up to the world class sides because I don't think he is hungry enough. The difference between him and the likes of Hasan and Shadab as far as attitude is concerned is quite striking. It is easy to see how much they want to win.

People should stop comparing him to the likes of Kohli who will walk barefoot on coal to succeed. That is how badly he wants to win games for India. Or even Joe Root, notwithstanding the wretched time he is having a wretched time at the moment, rushed out of a hospital to try and save a lost game for England, until it became physically impossible for him to carry on.

The way he approached his hundred when chasing 370 against Australia is a good reflection of the direction his career is heading, and the reason why he won't win over people outside Pakistan and will thus remain 'underrated'.

Agree with everything you said but lets stop overrating Joe Root here - who like Azam - is yet to play an iconic innings in ODIs. Both very similar players with similar roles.

 

[MeanAndGreen]

Babar is nowhere near Kohli but he is great for the PAK team. If he was in Hafeez's place during the last ODI 8-9/10 times he would've converted. Its a question of how much he is willing to improve his game and unfortunately over the last 10-12 months I haven't seen much.

I remember when Azam came to NZL a couple of years back he had a problem early in his innings with his head position which gave him a bit of grief in the early overs in NZL and in AUS. Disappointing to see the same mistake being repeated in the last ODI. Either the coaches aren't doing what they are paid for or Babar isn't willing to learn. Somebody needs to keep reminding him of his cousins career trajectory in order to give him a kick up the back side.

 

[Mamoon]

Agree with everything you said but lets stop overrating Joe Root here - who like Azam - is yet to play an iconic innings in ODIs. Both very similar players with similar roles.

I didn’t reference Root’s ODI career in particular. He is more fluent than Babar and a super player overall, but he hasn’t played iconic knocks in ODIs yet. Great ODI batsman but needs that career defining innings - the 2019 World Cup in England will be the perfect stage for him.

He has an extra gear that Babar doesn’t possess. What he did against South Africa in the WT20 was the stuff of gods.

However, although he looks like a little kid, you can see his passion and commitment when playing the game. Such intensity is lacking in Babar’s game, which is not good to see in a young player. I would love to see him explode with passion like Hasan and Shadab or Amir (only when he is in the mood to perform).

Babar has the body language of a TTF senior.

 

[ehsanrashid]

Babar Azam is underrated? I think he is overrated.

 

[Sidilicious]

Needs to spend some time with the likes of Shoaib Akhtar and Virat Kohli. Needs that aggressive attitude. Babar looks like an Indian batsman from the 90s.

 

[zain7077]

I didn’t reference Root’s ODI career in particular. He is more fluent than Babar and a super player overall, but he hasn’t played iconic knocks in ODIs yet. Great ODI batsman but needs that career defining innings - the 2019 World Cup in England will be the perfect stage for him.

He has an extra gear that Babar doesn’t possess. What he did against South Africa in the WT20 was the stuff of gods.

However, although he looks like a little kid, you can see his passion and commitment when playing the game. Such intensity is lacking in Babar’s game, which is not good to see in a young player. I would love to see him explode with passion like Hasan and Shadab or Amir (only when he is in the mood to perform).

Babar has the body language of a TTF senior.

I don't think it is a matter of body language. He just seems like an introverted personality and not someone who expresses his emotions much which can be seen in his century celebrations which are not exaggerated.

 

[j_kazmi]

Babar reminds me of Razzaq in the field. He looks totally uninterested and lazy when fielding. I would like to think that this is just how he is on the outside and is actually quite determined and hungry on the inside.

One thing that disappoints me however, is that his strike rate has dropped off a cliff when comparing to the start of his career. Before the end of the England tour he used to come out batting with a strike rate of 90 and a 100+ from the start.

 

[Abdullah]

I would love to see the passion in his play.
But we need this boy to come good.
Those complaining that he plays too slow... well 1 person in the line up is allowed to if they are going to average 50!!
We have seen the scores when this boy falls cheaply.
151-7 against India in the CT first game
131-6 against SL in CT
132-6 against NZ 1st odi ( filthy decision btw)
141-7 2nd odi nz
So he needs to take his sweet time to hold it together because the above is the state of our top order when he has failed!!
So it may look selfish but it is bloody team requirement also!

 

[Abdullah]

^ he is young so yes we hope he Improves on the SR front but his role for the team is more important at this stage

 

[DRsohail]

I would love to see the passion in his play.
But we need this boy to come good.
Those complaining that he plays too slow... well 1 person in the line up is allowed to if they are going to average 50!!
We have seen the scores when this boy falls cheaply.
151-7 against India in the CT first game
131-6 against SL in CT
132-6 against NZ 1st odi ( filthy decision btw)
141-7 2nd odi nz
So he needs to take his sweet time to hold it together because the above is the state of our top order when he has failed!!
So it may look selfish but it is bloody team requirement also!

thas the reason when many of the poster do not understand.the value of babar azam,,He needs to step up.

 

[Mr.Q]

Imagine someone going out to bat saying to himself "today I'm going to play only two different shots. The classic cover drive and the classic on drive. I'll simply block the ball if I can't play either of those shots." This is his problem .

I've got this feeling that he tries to be very orthodox (and camera friendly ) with his shot making which actually limits his ability to accelerate and create angles which enable those 2s and 3s. Those other shots will come only if the management forces him out of his comfort zone. It's not a matter of skill but intent. Since everyone mentioned Kohli, a few words about him. Kohli never had a comfortable place in the team. His place in the team was always under threat. Most people, including the commentators who praise him so much these days hated him and rated Rohit Sharma higher (typical of the Mumbai lobby in cricket). He made them all eat their words through his performances. He who faces the challenges in front of him with courage and emerges out victorious is the 'hero'. At the moment Babar doesn't face any challenges. That's the problem .

 

[Smudger]

Nothing to worry folks, our great friend Bilal has already declared that he will be better than Kohli.

Kohli himself is no way near steve smith. Kohli is just another ch9ker who chokes not only in odi wc but also in test cricket.

 

[TeymurBlake]

Babar is getting a stern test of the pitches of NZ. If you want to be consider a good batsman in cricket, you need to score against some of the best teams and to score away. Its impressive that he has 100's against SL and WI but he needs scores against the top teams to be consider a brilliant batsman. He's still young and has plenty of time to learn. But he needs to adapt and understand the conditions of NZ

 

[Abdullah]

Babar is getting a stern test of the pitches of NZ. If you want to be consider a good batsman in cricket, you need to score against some of the best teams and to score away. Its impressive that he has 100's against SL and WI but he needs scores against the top teams to be consider a brilliant batsman. He's still young and has plenty of time to learn. But he needs to adapt and understand the conditions of NZ

Bro ur saying that after 1 failure. The first game he got a stinking decision . InshAllah be will come good

 

[Matlab kuch bhi]

He has an amazing ODI average, but he's only 24 now and played 38 ODIs, still a lot of time ahead before he hits his full potential. Not big name now but a quality ODI batsman.

 

[Lefthanded]

It's threads like these that could be shorter if there was a poll. Some of these already said:

1) Too slow a scorer in ODI for anyone outside to care much
2) Hasn't stepped up in Tests
3) Media/former players don't care about foreign players unless they perform against the home side.
4) They expect to be overwhelmed by some opposition players at home.

Obviously he's young and his best years as a batsman are probably ahead of him.

 

[R3verse Swing]

If he scores 10-15 tons in either format against SA, Aus, Ind, Eng etc then he will start getting rated higher. You may cite his tons against WI or Sl and say that he has played them most and all than, but more fans remembers games played against their team and rate players based on that. Once he scores 10-15 tons against bigger teams, he will start getting rated higher by fans.

So far he has 1 career ton against Aus and that's not enough for even Aus fans. Couple of tons against Aus, Aus fans will notice, Couple of tons against SA, SA fans will notice and so on... At least have 10 tons against top 5 teams and then most fans will notice him more.

I am sure that WI fans rate him higher than other fans due to his 4 tons against WI.

Since when are Aussie fan the authority on success?

Aussie fans do not rate Joe Root because he has a poor conversion rate in Tests!

 

[TeymurBlake]

Bro ur saying that after 1 failure. The first game he got a stinking decision . InshAllah be will come good

I know he hasn't played enough but he's got to understand that he had potential to be a brilliant player. Players tend to get made in real pressure moments. He still has time to showcase what he can do.

 

[Buffet]

Since when are Aussie fan the authority on success?

Aussie fans do not rate Joe Root because he has a poor conversion rate in Tests!

Where did you read that Aus fans are authority on success? Aus fans will rate performance against Aus more, SA fans will rate performance against SA more and so on...

 

[Lefthanded]

It's threads like these that could be shorter if there was a poll. Some of these already said:

1) Too slow a scorer in ODI for anyone outside to care much
2) Hasn't stepped up in Tests
3) Media/former players don't care about foreign players unless they perform against the home side.
4) They expect to be overwhelmed when their home side tours, so the performances don't really count for as much.

Obviously he's young and his best years as a batsman are probably ahead of him.

Edited.

 

[Pete Rose]

Yeah I did. He’s clearly lacking confidence.

But he has the talent and ability to maintain his average of 50+.

We don’t care about his stinking average: it was the punchline of Indian batsmen in the 90’s high averages with not many innings of cricket consequence. In Odis I would rather take a avg 40 batsman with a strike rate of around 90 than a 50 avg at a strike rate of 75

 

[Pete Rose]

It's threads like these that could be shorter if there was a poll. Some of these already said:

1) Too slow a scorer in ODI for anyone outside to care much
2) Hasn't stepped up in Tests
3) Media/former players don't care about foreign players unless they perform against the home side.
4) They expect to be overwhelmed by some opposition players at home.

Obviously he's young and his best years as a batsman are probably ahead of him.

She has nothing to do with having a matchwinning mentality. He is just padding his stats at the moment

 

[Bilal7]

Kohli himself is no way near steve smith. Kohli is just another ch9ker who chokes not only in odi wc but also in test cricket.

Kohli is still a choker even at the advanced age of 30. Babar Azam is several years younger, far ahead of where Kohli was at the same age and does not have a tendency to embarrass himself at the biggest stage.

No man knows the future but all signs point to Babar Azam eclipsing the Indian.

 

[Bilal7]

We don’t care about his stinking average: it was the punchline of Indian batsmen in the 90’s high averages with not many innings of cricket consequence. In Odis I would rather take a avg 40 batsman with a strike rate of around 90 than a 50 avg at a strike rate of 75

Except that Babar has a strike rate of 85, not 75.

 

[Pete Rose]

Except that Babar has a strike rate of 85, not 75.

yeah....that's impressive, why doesnt he win any matches against the big boys then? decent average and strike rate

 

[Bilal7]

yeah....that's impressive, why doesnt he win any matches against the big boys then? decent average and strike rate

He's just starting out but has already played a fine knock in a CT final against a powerful Indian team. Give him another year to start piling on runs against the big teams as well.

 

[Humza_Razzaque]

yeah....that's impressive, why doesnt he win any matches against the big boys then? decent average and strike rate

That my friend is because he hasnt had many chances to do that besides the last match ,he did score a 80+ against newzealand at a Sr of 107 and scored a 100 against Australia last year which came at
A Sr of 90+.

 

[OmarKhan99]

That my friend is because he hasnt had many chances to do that besides the last match ,he did score a 80+ against newzealand at a Sr of 107 and scored a 100 against Australia last year which came at
A Sr of 90+.

In addition to that, he has a 60-odd in that same series vs NZ and a 87 vs Australia in the 2017 series. The guy averages 56.20 in Aus against the pace trio of Starc, Hazzlewood and Cummins. I mean, he literally just failed in one single innings......Some of us are just too sentimental to make any accurate judgements. Let me say this one more time, Babar will finish as an ATG with a 53+ average and he can do much more as well, IN SHA ALLAH.

 

[OmarKhan99]

yeah....that's impressive, why doesnt he win any matches against the big boys then? decent average and strike rate

Good question. Which big boys are you referring to? He played match winning knocks against South Africa (not out), India and England (not out) in the CT victories. He's scored quite heavily in Aus and in NZ (barring this series, which was effectively just one innings uptill now). And most importantly, the guy just turned 23 two months ago.

 

[UN talkz]

She has nothing to do with having a matchwinning mentality. He is just padding his stats at the moment

She or He

 

[MeanAndGreen]

We don’t care about his stinking average: it was the punchline of Indian batsmen in the 90’s high averages with not many innings of cricket consequence. In Odis I would rather take a avg 40 batsman with a strike rate of around 90 than a 50 avg at a strike rate of 75

Take out SL and WI he averages 45 at 85 against the rest. This guy is the least of our worries; he is no Kohli, but he is no dud like Shafiq either.

 

[MeanAndGreen]

What a fickle bunch we are, we have duds like Azhar, Hafeez, Shehzad in our squads and we're worried whether this guy is rated or not? He is no Kohli - get that in your heads, but how many players in world cricket are? Too many statisticians here that are quick to rule out the importance of your Amla, Williamson, Roots and Smiths in ODIs. This guy is in the same mould - something which is definitely not a bad thing especially considering how feeble Pakistan batsmen have been over the last decade or so.

 

[ipl_fan]

You have the answer now.

He is simply overrated in Pakistan.

 

[Shafi]

I don't think it is about performance with respect to age. It is all about attitude, and cricket is a game of character. Steve Waugh achieved twice as much as his younger brother with half the talent.

In terms of attitude, I see a world of difference between a 23 year old Kohli and a 23 year old Babar, even if the latter has performed better so far.

Babar needs to challenged and dragged outside his comfort-zone. Someone needs to kindle some fire in his belly, and Mickey is the best man to do it. However, ultimately, the passion has to come from within. People can try, but no one can make you hungry for success - no one, but you.

Don't you think Micky is turning out to another yes man? How on earth he approve the selection of these so called seniors

 

[Shafi]

He's not going to be our version of Kohli, Smith or Root, that's for sure. Many believed and still believe he's in that class. He's scoring runs for fun against SL/WI but the moment he has to step up against a decent team, he's failed. I don't remember any substantial innings by him against one of the better sides. I think he's actually regressed from when he first broke on to the scene, when he was playing at a consistently decent SR throughout his innings. He's gotten more selfish as his career has progressed, and starts off his innings slowly indeed. More often than not makes impact-less centuries against inferior opposition. Even the one he scored against Australia was there for all to see, chasing a big target. He trotted along at a SR of 60-70 for the better part of the innings.

I completely agree with [MENTION=131701]Mamoon[/MENTION], he seems to be another Mo Yousuf in the making.

Mo Yousuf was far better. Babar is a tailender in test. In ODI Babar is ok

 

[jaf348]

School boy like run out but don't worry he is the golden boy and has effectively only been out once this series, other dismissals were just unlucky.

 

[Mamoon]

A talented player but a coward. He has the heart of a sparrow and doesn’t have the personality to carry this team.

 

[Mamoon]

Don't you think Micky is turning out to another yes man? How on earth he approve the selection of these so called seniors

More than that, his silence is bewildering. He needs to stand up to Inzamam’s nepotism.

 

[Usman Chadda]

Drop Babar Azam

We don't want another situation like Hafeez, Malik and Azhar where the player believes he is indispensable after being rubbish. Babar needs to be told in no uncertain terms that you have to perform more often than not to keep your place in the side. Such mediocre performances can be achieved by picking any Tom, Dick and Harry from domestic cricket. Make an example of him. What he and Malik did today, was an embarrassment for Pakistan cricket. There is no place for selfish players in international cricket.

From this squad, Haris Sohail should come in. Not sure what to do about Hafeez and Malik, but Babar should definitely be the first casualty of this game to get the point across to all young players in Pakistan.

 

[Mamoon]

We don't want another situation like Hafeez, Malik and Azhar where the player believes he is indispensable after being rubbish. Babar needs to be told in no uncertain terms that you have to perform more often than not to keep your place in the side. Such mediocre performances can be achieved by picking any Tom, Dick and Harry from domestic cricket. Make an example of him. What he and Malik did today, was an embarrassment for Pakistan cricket. There is no place for selfish players in international cricket.

From this squad, Haris Sohail should come in. Not sure what to do about Hafeez and Malik, but Babar should definitely be the first casualty of this game to get the point across to all young players in Pakistan.

He is soft but prolific. He is what Hafeez and Malik would have been if they had more talent.

His approach is cowardly, but on average, he is good enough to last longer than his mediocre teammates. That is why he averages 50 and not 35.

Nonetheless, he cannot be dropped at this point. When are we playing Sri Lanka and West Indies in the UAE next, I want him to get close to Saeed Anwar’s 20 tons as soon as possible.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

I had called his dismissal before it happened.He simply can’t play under sustained pressure

 

[Usman Chadda]

He is soft but prolific. He is what Hafeez and Malik would have been if they had more talent.

His approach is cowardly, but on average, he is good enough to last longer than his mediocre teammates. That is why he averages 50 and not 35.

Nonetheless, he cannot be dropped at this point. When are we playing Sri Lanka and West Indies in the UAE next, I want him to get close to Saeed Anwar’s 20 tons as soon as possible.

Don't need this cowardly approach. Has looked horrible in the last two games. He is the best batsman in the team, and if your best batsman folds this meekly everytime he goes out there to bat, you will be in trouble more often than not. Drop him and make him work harder, don't let him turn into another Hafeez, Malik, Shehzad, Umar Akmal etc.

 

[Mamoon]

Don't need this cowardly approach. Has looked horrible in the last two games. He is the best batsman in the team, and if your best batsman folds this meekly everytime he goes out there to bat, you will be in trouble more often than not. Drop him and make him work harder, don't let him turn into another Hafeez, Malik, Shehzad, Umar Akmal etc.

I agree that he needs to challenged. He has the soul of a 35 year old; needs to learn from the way Hasan and Shadab approach the game. I don’t think dropping him is the answer, but perhaps it can help in the short run.

Nonetheless, something has to change.