Will Babar Azam lose his place in the national T20I side?

[JibranAnsari]

Last 10 t20i matches average of 21.5 and SR of only 102(no sixers).

His PSL has been a failure so far as well with very poor strike rate. Very few matches left in the PSL to turn his form around.

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

Last 10 t20i matches average of 21.5 and SR of only 102(no sixers).

His PSL has been a failure so far as well with very poor strike rate. Very few matches left in the PSL to turn his form around.

I’d like Mickey to give Babar the summer off. I’d ask him to get a Division 1 County contract and specifically work on his power game.


It needs to be communicated properly though, as rest and skills preparation time, rather than being dropped.

The problem with being Pakistan captain is, these guys never get time to properly work on their games, add strokes etc.


He can join his county side for the NZ ODIs and the Asia Cup. Most counties would love to have the reigning ICC cricketer of the year in their squads.

Babar just isn’t what’s needed for the current t20 side. However, if he does show progress I’m his hitting ability, than welcome him back with open arms.

 

[MenInG]

There seems to be hesitancy to remove him as captain so removing him from the side is not even on the radar.

 

[Saj]

I don't think he will lose his place in the squad.

There is probably a higher chance of him being replaced as skipper though.

 

[Rana]

I don't think he will lose his place in the squad.

There is probably a higher chance of him being replaced as skipper though.

If either one of Rizwan, Shadab or Shaheen is made captain…there is a chance he will lose his spot.

Pretty sure Imad will not pick him at least to open

 

[asadee]

He needs to drop his zid to open and let Haris and either Rizwan or Saim open

 

[Concerned]

Only Mickey can implement such a change.

Current set up will continue praising him whilst bringing heavy weights like Shan into the squad.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

There is a lot of pressure on him, much of it self inflicted.

Some time away from the spotlight to work on his game would do him the world of good.

I think he should also hit up someone like Hafeez to get some tips. Hafeez is probably the only Pakistani player that I've seen who transformed into quite a fierce hitter towards the end.

At the moment it seems like Babar (and perhaps his team) overvalues his wicket and he plays with a lot of hesitancy and restraint. His approach is to not get out rather than to score runs.

He needs some time away from the limelight to be reminded that T20 is just 'fun cricket', if he gets out he gets out, its not the end of the world, but while he is on the crease he must score quickly.

With the amount of scrutiny on him at the moment he won't be comfortable taking a more aggressive approach in PSL or international T20 so a county stint will do him the world of good.

At the moment and based on current form he doesn't make the T20 side.

 

[ElRaja]

on psl form the top 6 should be rizwan, fakhar, shafique, azam, imad with haris as a floater. but babar wont be dropped.

 

[topspin]

It depends on 2 things.

1. Can the Pakistan think tank see that he’s not a T20 player and that there are superior options available?

2. If yes, do they have the guts to do it? Excluding him will bring upon a strong reaction from the cheerleading Babar Azam fan club which comprises of certain sections of the media, ex-player lobby and fans

As I’ve said before, Babar Azam wouldn’t make any the Australia, England, NZ and India T20I sides. Steve Smith and Joe Root are of similar calibre yet no longer feature in the first string of their respective T20I teams.

Kane Williamson is also of similar calibre but the only reason why he’s in the NZ team is because he’s a good captain. Babar Azam isn’t so neither does he make the side as a specialist captain.

Anyone who thinks he should be playing the shortest format of the game for Pakistan doesn’t understand the requirements of the current era or is just a blind Babar Azam cheerleader. The latter applies for almost everyone who belongs to the Misbah fan club.

The modern demands of T20 cricket continue to change at a rapid rate. Smith and Root used to be automatic starters for Australia and England.

Pakistan cricket needs to get with the times but they haven’t moved on from the 90s in ODIs nor have they progressed from when T20s had commenced in the 2000s.

 

[Bewal Express]

Both Babar and Riz should not play any T20s unless its a WC. This is how you develop young players. The International T20s have no value outside WCS. Let's see the likes of Saim, Haseebullah, Azam and others.

 

[Rana]

Both Babar and Riz should not play any T20s unless its a WC. This is how you develop young players. The International T20s have no value outside WCS. Let's see the likes of Saim, Haseebullah, Azam and others.

They should not play world cups too

 

[Bewal Express]

They should not play world cups too

Well if the other guys are better, then no. But ATM no one has shown to be better or close to them. Hopefully others will emerge. It's healthy competition that drives players, and they like all players, need competition

 

[Justcrazy]

In Pakistan no player should play all three formats , you need to preserve players . Also , playing one less format will give time to work on the games and rest.

Whether it is babar , shaheen , Shadab etc.

 

[reversehook]

lolz, unless pcb becomes uganda or zambia cricket board or some other cricket board, there is no chance in hell we get rid of Babar in any capacity.... Babar will become the qaim ali shah of cricket for our team (t20s) and captaincy (any) ... sad state of affairs...

 

[Firebat]

It is probably time to relieve him of his T20I place, there are some better performers showing their talent in PSL

 

[brokenrecord]

It depends on 2 things.

1. Can the Pakistan think tank see that he’s not a T20 player and that there are superior options available?

2. If yes, do they have the guts to do it? Excluding him will bring upon a strong reaction from the cheerleading Babar Azam fan club which comprises of certain sections of the media, ex-player lobby and fans

As I’ve said before, Babar Azam wouldn’t make any the Australia, England, NZ and India T20I sides. Steve Smith and Joe Root are of similar calibre yet no longer feature in the first string of their respective T20I teams.

Kane Williamson is also of similar calibre but the only reason why he’s in the NZ team is because he’s a good captain. Babar Azam isn’t so neither does he make the side as a specialist captain.

Anyone who thinks he should be playing the shortest format of the game for Pakistan doesn’t understand the requirements of the current era or is just a blind Babar Azam cheerleader. The latter applies for almost everyone who belongs to the Misbah fan club.

The modern demands of T20 cricket continue to change at a rapid rate. Smith and Root used to be automatic starters for Australia and England.

Pakistan cricket needs to get with the times but they haven’t moved on from the 90s in ODIs nor have they progressed from when T20s had commenced in the 2000s.

Any talk of Babar’s fit in the T20 set up unreasonably upsets a lot of people. I don’t think anyone who knows anything about cricket can say Babar isn’t a great batsman. He is. But he fits better in the longer formats. Just like Joe Root. He’s also not a great captain. Much like Joe Root. He’s still great. And we can talk about his fit in the T20 team without “disrespecting” his abilities and what he is for Pakistan.

 

[Suleiman]

If Ramiz was still PCB chairman, absolutely not. He was forcing Babar onto fans as some GOAT level batsman.

At the same time, I’m not sure what to hope from the selection committee Sethi appointed. But I hope at least Sethi is not caught up in the delusion of Babar being some all format triple threat atm. He’s been lackluster in t20s for about a whole year now since the England series.

 

[moghul]

Not in Pakistan , a person is more important than national interest here.

 

[shamaan]

If I had to choose one between Rizwan and Babar to be dropped then I will drop Babar.

 

[Rana]

If I had to choose one between Rizwan and Babar to be dropped then I will drop Babar.

Babar will pay the heavy price of,

A) not giving up his opening spot and honing his skill as a number 3, whilst Fakhar should have been our main hitman opener

B) by giving Rizwan the second opening spot with him instead of Fakhar. Rizwan knows how to fool the world with his run a ball powerplay efforts and then making a 35 ball 40 turn into a 38 ball 50 by hitting a couple of boundaries

Justice will be served either way. This is the Pakistan cricket team and the selfish will be ousted/humiliated!

 

[shariqnoor]

It depends on 2 things.

1. Can the Pakistan think tank see that he’s not a T20 player and that there are superior options available?

2. If yes, do they have the guts to do it? Excluding him will bring upon a strong reaction from the cheerleading Babar Azam fan club which comprises of certain sections of the media, ex-player lobby and fans

As I’ve said before, Babar Azam wouldn’t make any the Australia, England, NZ and India T20I sides. Steve Smith and Joe Root are of similar calibre yet no longer feature in the first string of their respective T20I teams.

Kane Williamson is also of similar calibre but the only reason why he’s in the NZ team is because he’s a good captain. Babar Azam isn’t so neither does he make the side as a specialist captain.

Anyone who thinks he should be playing the shortest format of the game for Pakistan doesn’t understand the requirements of the current era or is just a blind Babar Azam cheerleader. The latter applies for almost everyone who belongs to the Misbah fan club.

The modern demands of T20 cricket continue to change at a rapid rate. Smith and Root used to be automatic starters for Australia and England.

Pakistan cricket needs to get with the times but they haven’t moved on from the 90s in ODIs nor have they progressed from when T20s had commenced in the 2000s.

Apologies in advance but can you please post one comment without mentioning Misbah? It seems like he stole all your life belongings.

 

[topspin]

Apologies in advance but can you please post one comment without mentioning Misbah? It seems like he stole all your life belongings.

Or how about we have a cricket debate without having to tell each other what they can say?

You're a massive Misbah fan but I've never insisted for you to stop supporting him.

Otherwise, lets have have a debate on Babar. Do you think he merits a spot in Pakistan's T20I team?

 

[KingOfPakBreakfast]

It depends on 2 things.

1. Can the Pakistan think tank see that he’s not a T20 player and that there are superior options available?

2. If yes, do they have the guts to do it? Excluding him will bring upon a strong reaction from the cheerleading Babar Azam fan club which comprises of certain sections of the media, ex-player lobby and fans

As I’ve said before, Babar Azam wouldn’t make any the Australia, England, NZ and India T20I sides. Steve Smith and Joe Root are of similar calibre yet no longer feature in the first string of their respective T20I teams.

Kane Williamson is also of similar calibre but the only reason why he’s in the NZ team is because he’s a good captain. Babar Azam isn’t so neither does he make the side as a specialist captain.

Anyone who thinks he should be playing the shortest format of the game for Pakistan doesn’t understand the requirements of the current era or is just a blind Babar Azam cheerleader. The latter applies for almost everyone who belongs to the Misbah fan club.

The modern demands of T20 cricket continue to change at a rapid rate. Smith and Root used to be automatic starters for Australia and England.

Pakistan cricket needs to get with the times but they haven’t moved on from the 90s in ODIs nor have they progressed from when T20s had commenced in the 2000s.

Another factor is also priorities. The next t20 World Cup is in Feb 25. Any t20 bilateral in between then is a chance to experiment.

You can ‘rest’ Babar for the T20s whilst trying other options. You phrase it as such that he should prioritise ODIs.

However, in the meantime you ask both him and Riz to go away and work on their weaknesses. If, by mid 2024 they both come back as more complete players, they can re enter the squad.

 

[shariqnoor]

Or how about we have a cricket debate without having to tell each other what they can say?

You're a massive Misbah fan but I've never insisted for you to stop supporting him.

Otherwise, lets have have a debate on Babar. Do you think he merits a spot in Pakistan's T20I team?

On current form, absolutely not. This is how cricket works. You don't perform consistently, you should be under pressure of being dropped. Pakistan now actually has the resources to replace him in the batting lineup - which they probably didn't have a year ago.

One of Saim Ayub / Mohammed Haris should be the number 1 choice.

 

[topspin]

On current form, absolutely not. This is how cricket works. You don't perform consistently, you should be under pressure of being dropped. Pakistan now actually has the resources to replace him in the batting lineup - which they probably didn't have a year ago.

One of Saim Ayub / Mohammed Haris should be the number 1 choice.

I'm with you on Ayub and Haris. Pakistan's top 3 should comprise of these two along with Fakhar Zaman.

With Babar, I feel he's become more than just complacent. He gives me the impression that in his mind he sees himself as someone who's untouchable because he's the golden boy of Pakistan cricket.

Instead of searching for half centuries in the meaningless bilateral T20I contests, I just wish he would look to play more freely where the stakes are relatively low so he can build his confidence when it comes to scoring runs at a faster tempo.

Having said that bilateral T20Is should really be used to test our bench strength however we all know this is a unique Pakistan cricket speciality. It's hard to understand why our think tank can't be more flexible with their thinking and see that team combinations, particularly in the batting department, need to be experimented with because you otherwise end up with poor succession planning and you'll hinder the development of those who warrant game time.

 

[Suleiman]

Bavuma just lost his place entirely- captaincy + player role in t20s.

Will PCB have the huevos to pull it off? Or is it #SochnaBhiManaHai time still?

 

[Kianig89]

Babar has been made a Galactico no matter even if he is removed from captain still he will be selected in team as Rizwan Shaheen also idolize him

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Babar is still the only batter in Pak who has the game to succeed in all conditions. (wt20 2022 came at a time when his t20 form had been patchy, he's still not at his best in t20is).

Ideally this should be a kick up for Babar to regain his form and play with more authority rather than looking to survive. He's gone a bit too timid since he lost his form and has become more defensive.

He should look to emulate Faf. The way Faf bats in t20s should be the template for Babar to follow.
He also needs a coach who isn't afraid to tell him what's wrong with his and work with him to negate any shortcomings he has.

On form, Haris should get a go as an opener, but we need to accept that Haris isn't going to score a quick 20 30 every game. There'll be more failures once the opposition works on him. If the team management is up for the challenge and take it on the chin, only then should Haris be given a go with full authority. Playing him as an opener for 5-6 games and then dropping him will dent his confidence.

 

[Slim]

The way some people are talking about Babar is an absolute travesty! Hes the best we have. While that being said, i believe Babar needs to bring his SR to 150 and he should move to 3 while Rizwan should not be guaranteed a place. We should have Haris and Fakhar opening for us. We can have Saim Ayub as the alternate. Ifthikar should be at number 4 while Azam can be inducted too on trial basis. We should remove any garbage like Shan Masood, Asif Ali from the team. Imad should also be inducted in the squad.

 

[Cric1234]

PSL strike rates:

Babar 121

Iftikhar 118

Ahmed Shehzad 120

 

[umarf76]

The way some people are talking about Babar is an absolute travesty! Hes the best we have. While that being said, i believe Babar needs to bring his SR to 150 and he should move to 3 while Rizwan should not be guaranteed a place. We should have Haris and Fakhar opening for us. We can have Saim Ayub as the alternate. Ifthikar should be at number 4 while Azam can be inducted too on trial basis. We should remove any garbage like Shan Masood, Asif Ali from the team. Imad should also be inducted in the squad.

Agree with all this. However Asif Ali may still have a position until and unless we find someone who can do the occasional magic.

 

[VForVendetta]

Babar looks like a fossil amongst Harris,Ayub,Azam,Shafique,Haseeb etc. It's almost as if he is playing on a different timeline! Honestly if he has any self respect he should look at all these youngsters & step down for a while. I know he is never going to do it,but for the sake of himself & PAK it will be good if he stays away for a while from the t20 setup. Let them build a unit with fresh blood for 2024. It looks really ugly everytime he either gets out cheaply or scores one of his typical subpar 120+ strike rate fifties. These knocks do more harm than good.

 

[Rana]

A guy with 10k plus international runs and unchallenged power scoring 41 ball 50 on a road

Whilst a newbie with no power or sway scoring a 34 ball 66

Wake up everyone!

 

[TheSultan]

Pedestrian at best. Playing T20s is doing his reputation more harm than good. Save face and concentrate on the other formats

 

[Saj]

50 off 41 today at a strike rate of 121.95.

Overall his strike rate in PSL 8 is 126 which I am sure he will want to improve upon.

Good job that Saim and TKC batted well.

 

[shamaan]

The way some people are talking about Babar is an absolute travesty! Hes the best we have. While that being said, i believe Babar needs to bring his SR to 150 and he should move to 3 while Rizwan should not be guaranteed a place. We should have Haris and Fakhar opening for us. We can have Saim Ayub as the alternate. Ifthikar should be at number 4 while Azam can be inducted too on trial basis. We should remove any garbage like Shan Masood, Asif Ali from the team. Imad should also be inducted in the squad.

Tell me which players have strike rate of 150.

 

[Suleiman]

the way Babar is handling himself so stubbornly in hogging the opening slot whenever he is captain, despite there being superior openers, is quite sad. Shaheen did the same by promoting himself to 5-6 ahead of actual strikers. Making a 50 but consuming 20 odd dot balls going for wild swings .

Why is it that once these guys get a slight taste of power, fame and authority it goes to their head?

It’s the same with our long list of fixers. Asif, Sharjeel, Jamshed, Kaneria, Amir- everyone of them had world class talent (at one point at least) and threw it away as soon as they got a taste of fame.

Just greed and taking advantage of their blind followers / fans who don’t know any better (taking advantage point is for Babar mainly)