Pakistan captain Babar Azam held a pre-series media conference on Monday. He was critical of his performance, his poor T20I strike rate and his support for Virat Kohli. Is Babar Azam a’sterile’ public speaker?
Babar Azam’s criticism of his performance
Babar Azam was criticised by a former player at the pre-series media conference for his poor strike rate in the T20Is. Former Pakistan cricketer Aaqib Javed, who is currently the head coach of Lahore Qalandars of the Pakistan Super League, took a dig at the skipper. In response, Babar urged the critics not to criticise him personally.
Babar Azam’s critics had claimed that his strike rate had fallen drastically in the Asia Cup, and he hasn’t been able to score big runs. The captain’s response to the criticism was not surprising. He said that he doesn’t mind criticism from the cricket fraternity, but he didn’t like Aaqib Javed’s remarks.
Babar Azam’s critics will be able to find fault with his performance and the cricket team as a whole, he said at the pre-series media conference. While Babar Azam was not able to score as many runs as the top order, he still scored 110 runs. However, the batters’ performance has been questioned, especially after they failed to chase a modest 170 in favorable conditions.
After the second ODI against England, Babar Azam’s tweets were widely circulated on social media. Kohli responded to the tweet shortly after and thanked Babar for his advice. However, the tweets were too late to influence Kohli’s decision to play in the first Test match.
His poor strike rate in T20Is
Babar Azam has been under scrutiny recently for his poor strike rate in T20Is. The batting average of the opener has dropped drastically since the start of the Asia Cup a month ago. Although he scored a century in the ongoing T20I series against Pakistan, Babar’s poor strike rate has become a cause for concern for Pakistan fans.
There have been many reasons behind the poor strike rate of Babar Azam, but his poor form has been blamed on his poor performance in T20Is. During his first two seasons, Babar Azam averaged around fifty, with a strike rate of around 120. In T20 cricket, it is important to have a good strike rate because a poor one guarantees a defeat for a team. Former Pakistan fast bowler Shahid Afridi, who has been a critic of Babar Azam, has said similar things.
Babar Azam’s poor strike rate is the result of his inability to adapt to the T20 format. While his strike rate may be lower than his average, it does not mean that he is less capable of being effective. In T20Is, batting first is crucial. Ajinkya Rahane’s 40 off 35 was crucial to India’s semi-final against the West Indies. The West Indies won by two runs, but that is not to say that Rahane’s innings was a failure. Rather, the West Indies innings was needlessly conservative and a reminder of a fundamental truth of the T20 format: a refusal to take risks is a recipe for disaster.
While Azam’s poor strike rate in T-20Is is not as alarming as other players’, it should be noted that he is still contributing to Pakistan’s success. In Asia Cup 2019, Azam has scored just 251 runs in ten T20Is. This poor strike rate may have a detrimental impact on the team’s prospects in Asia Cup 2022.
His support for Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli’s support for Babar Azam at the pre-series media conference is a welcome development, but it’s important to understand his intentions. The former ODI and T20I captain, who has been rumoured to be considering a break from cricket after a three-match Test series in South Africa, was asked if he would be available for the ODI series.
Babar Azam shared a message of support for Virat Kohli on Twitter, shortly after the latter was dismissed for 16 against England at Lord’s. The message from Babar came at a time when Kohli has been under increasing criticism for his poor form and inconsistent ability with the willow. Kohli responded to Azam’s tweet on July 16 and thanked him for his advice.
Kohli has been struggling in the recent series against England, not scoring a century in almost three years. He has been poor in England’s restricted overs but has started finding his rhythm in the last few days. Babar Azam’s tweets have attracted over one hundred thousand likes on the microblogging platform.
The tweet from Babar Azam, who is close to 10,000 runs in international cricket, has touched the heart of Kohli. The Pakistani cricket statistician Mazher Arshad said that Kohli’s reply is the first of its kind this year.
Babar Azam’s tweet congratulating Kohli has garnered widespread support on Twitter. The tweet also received positive reactions from cricket fans in Pakistan and India.
His’sterile’ public statements
England beat Babar-led Pakistan in the 7th T20I to claim a 4-3 series win. After the match, Mushtaq made a bizarre statement in a press conference. It is unclear why the Pakistan head coach took a cue from his team-mate.
While Babar Azam has enjoyed sustained dominance in the past, he has never been subjected to forensic scrutiny. But the indifferent performance he put up during the Asia Cup snowballed into criticism of his leadership style, batting position and role in the T20 side.
His response to critics
Babar Azam responded to critics at the pre-series media conference and stated that he is not bothered about what people think about him. The former pacer took issue with Babar Azam’s low strike rate. The Pakistan skipper responded to the criticism saying that everyone has different opinions and he does not listen to the opinions of other people. He said that he does not give any importance to what people think about him and that he only cares about the performance of the team.
Babar Azam, who played for the Karachi Kings, was criticised by former Pakistan players. However, his team has always been in a position to keep him, despite the criticisms. He is a patient batsman who plays his innings at his own pace, piles up runs and is an asset to the team. Despite these criticisms, Babar Azam still remains a key player for the Lahore Qalandars.
Babar Azam’s response to criticisms at the pre-series media conference was remarkably honest. He addressed criticisms about the workload of the cricketers. He said that they would work to improve their fitness levels and play two formats.
The Pakistani skipper, who holds third place in the ICC T20I batting rankings, was also criticized for his slow strike rate when opening the innings. His lacklustre strike rate in the first innings of T20Is led to criticism from former cricketers such as Aaqib Javed. The captain responded to the criticism by saying that the critics should not take the criticism personally.
