Shaheen to drop Babar Azam from ODIs? PAK captain has 3 reasons to take this bold call

Why Babar should be dropped [Source: @cricbuzz/x.com]

Another ODI match and another failure for Pakistan’s under-performer, Babar Azam. On flat wickets against the South African attack, Babar was expected to deliver the goods, but he continues to produce a flop show as Nandre Burger got rid of him for 11 off 13 balls in the second ODI of the series.

This year, the star batter has averaged 28, and the numbers keep going down as Babar is yet to play a match-winning knock in the 50-overs format. Pakistan didn’t hesitate to drop him from the T20Is due to his poor performances, and they won’t hesitate to drop him from the ODIs as well.

Here are the three massive reasons why Pakistan should make a bold call regarding Babar's ODI future.

1) Downfall in ODIs in 2025

This year has been horrendous for the Pakistan batter in ODI cricket. This is Babar’s best format out of the three, and yet, he has yet to play a match-winning knock for Pakistan. His numbers have gone down with each passing game and the stats tell the entire story.

(Babar in ODIs in 2025)

• As the data suggests, things have not been kind for Babar Azam in ODIs in 2025. In 12 matches before the second ODI, the batter had an average of 28 and had only accumulated 341 runs, with just three fifties to his name.
• Now, interestingly, in the same time period, his strike has been a mere 77.85, which is his third-worst strike rate in a calendar year in ODIs. Runs have been hard to come by and the batter has not taken any initiative to play an aggressive brand of cricket.

2) No match-winning performances since August 2023

• August 2023 was the last time Babar played a match-winning knock in ODIs, and that too came against Nepal in the Asia Cup. Since then, it has been a downward curve for the batter as Pakistan is patiently waiting for a comeback.
• Interestingly, most of the matches in Pakistan are played on batting-friendly tracks, as the batters are expected to do well, and yet, Babar has struggled to score runs. Till December 2023, he had an ODI average of 56.72, but in the last 1.5 years, the same average has dropped to a mere 35.56, showcasing his dip in form and numbers.

3) Unwilling to learn from mistakes

• What is Babar Azam’s biggest batting weakness?. It is his unwillingness to learn from past mistakes. He has two major weaknesses - first, he tends to get stuck inside the crease when playing spin bowlers and often they trap him lbw.
• Second, he tends to poke at away going deliveries and induces an outside-edge as the keeper and slips come into play. He had both types of dismissals in the first two ODIs as the batter got trapped lbw in the first game, and then the slips came into play in the second ODI.
• Despite the persistent problems, he has yet to rectify the mistakes, and if the same issues occur in the third ODI, the selectors might not hesitate to drop him permanently.

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From 56.72 average to 35.56: Statistical data shows Babar Azam's epic ODI downfall

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