When Shoaib Akhtar Asked Babar Azam To Justify His ‘Big Player’ Tag

image-lq7whp1lBabar Azam scored just 320 runs at 40 during 2023 World Cup (x.com)

Babar Azam, leading stalwart of Pakistan’s elite batting line-up, has solidified himself as one of the greats of modern-day cricket through his sublime run-scoring consistency. Despite his legendary status, the cricketer is still prone to severe criticisms for his failures, however rare they might be, from fans and experts like.

Babar was once called out by former Pakistan cricketer and pace legend Shoaib Akhtar for his underwhelming returns with the bat at the 2023 World Cup in India. During a crucial stage of the tournament, Akhtar stated that the star batter needs to justify his ‘big player’ tag by scoring runs against ‘bigger teams’ for his country.

When Shoaib Akhtar panned Babar Azam

Babar Azam took field at the 2023 World Cup in India as a leading batting figure and the captain of the Pakistan cricket team. Moreover, the right-hander entered the competition as the number one ranked ODI batsman on the ICC charts.

As it turned out, Babar failed to validate his number one ranking in the tournament, as he endured successive batting downfalls against Netherlands and Sri Lanka in Pakistan’s initial fixtures. His fighting 50 against arch-rivals India ended up in a losing cause, and his failure to pile up on his side’s sublime opening stand during their high-octane run-chase against Australia drew much criticism from all corners of the cricketing spectrum.

Chasing 368 to defeat Australia in Bengaluru, Babar arrived to the crease after Pakistan’s 134-run opening partnership. Despite having the stage set for a big run-chase knock, the batting veteran scored just 18 runs in the innings as Pakistan lost the contest to register their second successive defeat of the competition.

After the match, former ‘Men in Green’ fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar questioned Babar’s ‘big player’ tag by claiming that he needs to perform in big games to justify his reputation. Taking to his YouTube channel, Akhtar said:

“Babar Azam is a great player, but again, you need to play a great innings. You can't make yourself a big name by not scoring against big teams. If you want to prove that you are a big player, you have to score runs in big games.”

Here's the video when Akhtar blasted Babar

Babar Azam eventually concluded his World Cup 2023 campaign with just 320 runs from nine innings at a below-par average of 40. His striking abilities also came into question, considering he maintained a strike-rate of just 82.90 in an otherwise high-scoring tournament.

Under his leadership, Pakistan failed to secure a top four finish despite winning their two initial fixtures, thus resulting in his removal from captaincy upon returning home.