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‘Will Tell Babar Azam Just One Thing…’: Sunil Gavaskar Advices Struggling Pakistan Star

Aakash Saini

Sunil Gavaskar and Babar Azam [Source: @_FaridKhan, mufaddal_vohra/x]Sunil Gavaskar and Babar Azam [Source: @_FaridKhan, mufaddal_vohra/x]

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Pakistan crashed out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy within the opening round itself after falling to humiliating defeats against New Zealand and India at Karachi and Dubai respectively. Senior Pakistan batter Babar Azam, who struggled throughout the preceding home tri-series, is yet to notch up a single notable score in the ongoing multi-nation tournament.

While Babar listed 64 runs against New Zealand in the opening game, the modern-day batting great took 90 deliveries to do so in a chase of 321. Moreover, the 30-year-old made just 23 runs against arch-rivals India on February 23 as the ‘Men in Green’ bowed out of the semifinals race.

Amidst Babar Azam’s continual batting struggles, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has now offered his advice, urging the embattled batter to reassess his approach and rediscover the fluency that once defined his game.

Sunil Gavaskar offers valuable advice to Babar Azam

While speaking with Basit Ali on the latter’s YouTube channel, former Indian batter Sunil Gavaskar urged struggling Pakistan star Babar Azam to modify his batting technique. He said:

“If you ask me, I will tell Babar just one thing. Right now, his stance is quite spread out. If he can reduce the width between his feet, then two things will happen: one, when your feet are spread out, then you face difficult going on back foot and front foot but when you are more balanced (with feet less wide), then you also gain a bit of height, while you are a bit down with feet spread out. So you can judge the bounce and movement of the ball a bit better when you are more upright. And an opening batter needs that height.”

Sunil Gavaskar added:

“If he tries to do this, then I believe the run-making ability he used to have will return, and the whole world will enjoy that, not just the Pakistanis....The whole world wants to see him play shots like the flick through mid-wicket he produced.”

With Pakistan already out of the semifinals race of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, the Babar Azam-starrer side will now face Bangladesh in a virtual Group A dead-rubber on Thursday, February 27. The match will be hosted by the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.