Does Babar Azam Have What It Takes To Achieve Greatness?

Babar is one of the best batters produced by Pakistan [X] Babar is one of the best batters produced by Pakistan [X]

He is known as the superstar of Pakistan cricket, but Babar Azam still has a long way to go to achieve greatness.

The Pakistan captain came like a Messiah for his side, when the team were in a dire need of a superstar batter. With the likes of Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq retiring, Pakistan cricket needed the next big thing to take the mantle forward and in came, Babar.

Babar, the Messiah of Pakistan cricket

He had the technical excellence, the will to find gaps with perfection and a hunger to score truckloads of runs. Soon, he broke very record in ODI cricket as the cricketing fraternity compared his game-style to that of Virat Kohli.

He was often touted as the next Virat Kohli, and the numbers do speak the volume for it. He has already racked up 5729 runs in 117 ODI matches, and has also slammed 19 centuries. Most importantly, he has an average of almost 57, showcasing his class.

Even in Tests and T20Is, he has proven his mettle, scoring runs consistently. While he certainly has bagged all the accolades, there is a different side of the coin as well. 

He fails under crunch situations

Despite performing exceedingly well in bilateral series, the Pakistan captain fails to deliver when it matters the mist - World Cups.

Barring a fifty against India in the T20 World Cup 2021, there is no significant winning contribution which the Pakistan great possesses. Infact, there is a theory that he fails in big matches, as evident with his string of low scores in Asia Cup 2022, 2023, T20 World Cup 2022, 24, World Cup 2023.

Barring the game against India, which Pakistan won by 10-wickets, his only significant knock in the World Cup came against New Zealand in 2019, when he scored a century in a losing cause.

Babar, by the time he retires will be considered as one of the best batters produced in Pakistan. But will he be considered an all-time international great? For that, he needs to score runs in crucial matches, for that he needs to look at Kohli and how he delivers the goods. Time is with him, but can he achieve greatness?