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Babar Azam called greedy as Ex-Pakistan star doubts his cricket future amid BBL slump

Debashis Sarangi

Babar Azam has flopped in the BBL so far [Source: @SixersBBL/X]Babar Azam has flopped in the BBL so far [Source: @SixersBBL/X]

Former Pakistani cricketer Abdur Rauf slammed Babar Azam for prioritising the cash-rich Big Bash League over domestic cricket. Babar Azam has been one of the marquee overseas players in the ongoing BBL season. However, the experienced Pakistani cricketer has had a torrid run in the tournament so far, infuriating Rauf, who thinks Babar should've invested his time in the domestic circuit instead of plying his trade in the BBL. 

Babar Azam slammed for choosing BBL over domestic cricket

Babar Azam entered the BBL as one of Sydney Sixers' high-profile signings for the 2025-26 season. However, the right-handed batter hasn't lived up to the expectations, managing only 71 runs across four innings at a horrible average of 17.75. 

Although Babar scored a valuable fifty in his third BBL innings, his seven-ball two against Melbourne Stars earned him massive backlash. As the seasoned campaigner registered his third single-digit score in the BBL 2025-26, former Pakistani cricketer Abdur Rauf criticised him for his string of failures. 

Taking to his official account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Rauf reckoned that the BBL isn't an ideal platform for Babar Azam to work on his game. Considering Babar hasn't been at his best for quite a while, Rauf feels that the batter should've prioritised First-Class matches to fine-tune his technique rather than being greedy and choosing the cash-rich league in Australia. 

Rauf, who played eight international matches for Pakistan, also feared that Babar Azam's international career could witness an abrupt end if he continues to invest his precious time in such leagues where he would rarely get an opportunity to evolve as a batter. 

"He has lost lot of very important credentials of batting. This is not the platform to mend your mistakes you are just building more pressure on yourself, your advisor are piece of s***. If you continue like this how long you will survive," Rauf wrote on X. 

"Long format county cricket or domestic first class cricket is the only platform for you to work on your technique, spend most of the time on the pitch, play long inning, then you will manage to improve your faults. It will not only relax your mind but also relieve stress from your body. Why are you putting more pressure on yourself by playing short format and these leagues," he added. 

"You have enough money to pass your life comfortably then why are you running after it and putting more stress on your mind and body that will lead you to ruin your career in the end. What you are doing is sheer mistake that can cast your entire career," the former cricketer concluded. 

Babar Azam's poor form: A concern for Pakistan before T20 WC

Babar Azam recently made his T20I comeback after Pakistan suffered three straight defeats from arch-rivals India in the Asia Cup. Although he registered a decent batting average of 34.33, Babar's strike rate remained an issue for him and Pakistan. As he is searching for form in the BBL, Pakistan's batting woes seem to have aggravated right before the T20 World Cup next year.