Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali advised the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) to rest Babar Azam for the forthcoming second test match of the series against West Indies, starting on January 25 (Saturday) in Multan.
Although Pakistan won the series opener by 127 runs in Multan and took a 1-0 lead, Babar’s subpar performance on a challenging pitch raised concerns. He scored just 8 and 5 runs in the first and second innings, respectively.
A Perfect Time to Rest Babar Azam: Basit Ali’s Opinion
Speaking on his YouTube Channel, Basit Ali voiced his opinion that the time has come to give Babar Azam a break:
“Yeah! Pakistan is destroying Babar’s confidence levels while he has just started to regain his momentum. Knowing that Pakistan wouldn’t qualify for the WTC 2025 final, it would be wise to rest Babar Azam. Suppose, if you prefer him in the playing XI, it is advisable to set up better pitches that suit well according to his batting style,” Ali said.
Furthermore, the 54-year-old advised that Mohammad Rizwan should be rested ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025 pointing out the pitch conditions:
“See! Not only Babar Azam but also Mohammad Rizwan must be rested before the commencement of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. This is because the similar pitch conditions in the first test will deteriorate their confidence. Babar struggled in the first test despite finding his lost form in South Africa and scored runs in ODIs and tests,” Basit added a few more facts.
Azhar Ali Supports Babar Azam
The former Pakistani captain Azhar Ali supported the star batter’s skills by comparing him to the legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi:
“YES! I accept that I criticized Babar severely for his captaincy. Now, I’m conveying this as he captained the national team for so long. He should have developed another team during this span. Considering his batting all I have to say is Please Stop it.
I believe that if you don’t support someone, you start speaking about his batting skills. Certainly, there are moments when you don’t play well in the tournaments. But, the fact is to be accepted that he is the only cricketer from Pakistan who has given his team fame through his batting.
There are several talented players in Pakistan, especially the countless match-winners. But, they could create a sensation in the cricket world like Babar has done. I feel that the way Babar rose to fame and established his name in the world, I mean a regular standard batsman is getting cheered by the crowd. He is the first player after Shahid Bhai”, Azhar said.
Babar Azam’s Recovery from Extended Form Slump
Since the beginning of 2023, Babar Azam hasn’t been able to score even a fifty in test cricket. Out of 19 innings, Pakistan’s ace batter managed to accumulate just 366 runs, which included his highest score of 41.
The 30-year-old was dropped from the test squad for the second and third match, after losing the series against England at home the previous year. The loss caused the hosts to record their sixth consecutive loss in the format. Surprisingly, the exclusion of Pakistan’s core player helped the national team to turn its fortunes favorably by winning the next two matches to clinch the series with a 2-1 outcome. In addition, he was excluded from the limited-overs series against Zimbabwe.
Finally, the right-handed batter managed to make a successful comeback during Pakistan’s recently completed red-ball tour to South Africa. After two years, he registered his 27th test half-century in his 56th match of the longest format. Moreover, the seasoned batter ended his 733-day drought period of scoring a fifty-plus score in test cricket.
Throughout the 2-match test series, Babar scored 193 runs in 4 innings, including three 50+ scores. Notably, it was the first time in his career that he piled up a hat trick of fifties without converting them into a triple-digit score. Despite the best efforts, the visitors lost to the Proteas with a clean sweep of 0-2.
Final Opinion:
After experiencing a memorable campaign in South Africa, Babar returned to Pakistan hoping to enhance his success in the home test series against the Windies.
In contrast to the expectations, the veteran batter lost his wicket to the right-arm pacer Jayden Seales in the first innings scoring just 8 runs out of 20 balls. In the second innings, the left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican struck Babar in front of the stumps, concluding his presence on the crease for just 5 runs out of 11 balls faced.
The common point to be noted is that in both innings, the experienced batter failed to strike even a single boundary.
Finally, Basit Ali tries to convey that Babar Azam should be rested if the turning track is being prepared for the second test at the same venue so that his form could be preserved for the Champions Trophy 2025.