![Why Pakistan should drop Babar [Source: AFP Photo]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1755157047137_Babartobedropped.jpg?type=mq)
Why Pakistan should drop Babar [Source: AFP Photo]
August 30, 2023, was the day when Pakistan star Babar Azam last scored an international century, and it came against the minnows - Nepal. A magnificent 151 off 133 deliveries, and the century was celebrated like a festival in Pakistan, but little did the fans knew that it would be the last time Babar would remove his helmet for a long period of time.
Since then, it has been 715 days, and the wait for an illustrious hundred continues as Babar's form has dipped massively, and so have the standards of Pakistan cricket. Once compared with Virat Kohli, Babar has suddenly become a forgotten figure in international cricket, and is now counted in the list of 'ordinary' players.
What the stats say since his last international century
Babar Azam should be a curious case study for all cricket lovers. Till August 30, 2023, he could do no wrong and was almost invincible on the field. He averaged nearly 60 in ODIs, and was on the upward trajectory when it came to the Tests, and T20I format.
The star batter played a couple of interesting knocks in the World Cup 2023, but those were not match-winning knocks, and instead, they only boosted Babar's stats. Since January 1 , 2024, Babar has only averaged a mere 33 in ODIs, with zero performances which has helped his team win the game.
If ODI downfall looked bad, wait for the Tests and T20I numbers. December 2022 was the last time he slammed a Test century, and this year he would celebrate his 3-year anniversary of not scoring a century in red ball cricket. 590 Test runs since 2023, at an average of 22.6, and no score of a hundred-plus defines Babar's performances in red-ball cricket. The same has been the case in T20Is.
The T20 World Cup in 2024 would have been a perfect redemption arc as the Pakistan batter was removed from the captaincy, a few months before the marquee event, and was once again reinstated. But what followed was a nightmare, not only for the batter, but for the fans as well. Pakistan crashed out of the group stage, and Babar scored just 122 runs, with a strike-rate of just 101.
Issues persisting with Babar Azam
Elite cricketers of the past had technical issues, which were easy to correct. Even the great Virat Kohli had technical issues outside the off, and he tried working on it, but Babar's problems go beyond it. It is all in his head. Technical errors could be corrected, especially with the numerous coaches a team hires.
But how do you control the mental pressure that one takes?. This is something which Babar has to solve himself. Perhaps sit with someone and try to understand the issues. He gets timid in his batting approach, and it was well-evident during the third ODI vs West Indies recently. Pakistan had lost three early wickets chasing 295 runs, and instead of playing a proactive knock, Babar went into a shell, and the result was that he was dismissed for a painstaking 9 off 23 balls.
In the same situation, a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma would have tried to take the game to the opposition, but Babar allowed the Windies bowlers to take control of the proceedings. These are things which are not taught, but it comes from within, and Babar lacks this positive mentality.
Why Pakistan should finally say goodbye to their out of form star
Two years without an ODI ton, almost three years without a Test century, and ages since he last played a match-winning T20I knock - perhaps time has come for Pakistan to look beyond Babar across formats. How is it possible that a nation of almost 25 crore cannot find a player to replace an out-of-form star?.
Even India, where players are worshipped like gods, decided to part ways with Rohit and Virat in Test cricket. The duo were Indian cricket's greatest servants, but when their form dipped, the management never shied away from moving on from them.
This is exactly what Pakistan needs to do. Take a harsh call, acknowledge Babar for his contribution, and find his replacement. It might take a month, or two, or more than that, but the Men in Green shouldn't carry excess baggage with them for long.
