In the dynamic world of international cricket, there are some enigmatic tales, and one of these is the ‘sudden downfall’ of cricketer Babar Azam, who once looked the epitome of Pakistan Test cricket.
The former captain seems to be out of form, which has led to debate about his career and impact on Pakistan cricket. After five years, he has been knocked out of the top 10 Test batters with 712 points, and slipped three places to number 12, which is an indication of poor form in the red-ball format.
Whether the 29-year-old can make a half-century in Test cricket has been a hot topic. But things cleared up in the recently concluded Test series against Bangladesh, where his input was relatively poor. His total tally of 64 runs across four innings in the two-match series was a far cry from his recent successes.
The latest ‘misfire’ of Babar Azam happened at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium and in his last knock of the series, he managed to score only 11 runs. The streak of 16 innings without a fifty and a score of 331 runs at an average of 20.4 have invited much criticism.
To put it in perspective, the senior batter’s last big knock in the five-day format was from December 2022, when he went on to score a half century against New Zealand. Since then, he has been characterized by inconsistency and a disturbing scarcity of high scores.
This poor performance has put doubt on his leadership role in the batting line-up. It appears as if the pressure on the revered figure of Pakistani cricket has become increasingly unbearable. Babar Azam’s issues cannot be seen separately from a broad context.
Considering the context of Pakistan cricket, one can conclude that the team is in disarray, both internally and externally. The failure was also exposed in the Test series against Bangladesh, where Babar Azam gave a poor performance, but the weakness of the team was also evident. A major factor that compounded the situation was the failure to make big scores and the loss of wickets at crucial times.
One can, however, note Pakistan has a major dependency problem with Babar Azam. When expectations are placed on one player and he fails to meet them, it leads to performance issues. This has been compounded by the fact that there is no other match-winner on the current side to share the burden, hence making Babar’s miseries more costly.
Therefore, what Pakistan cricket’s current status shows is that there is a reluctance to change and try out new things when necessary. The resistance has not only impacted Babar Azam; the overall performance of the whole team has been affected.
The team’s inability to adapt has worsened its struggles in gameplay and also affected other areas of its performance. In a conversation with Jarida Today, analyst Shoaib Jatt and commentator Shah Faisal explained the potential reasons behind Babar’s poor form.
“Babar’s downfall is mainly due to a psychological block that he could not overcome,” said Shoaib Jatt, a qualified PCB coach with an MSc in Sports Sciences. In recent years, he said that Babar Azam was given immense authority in Pakistan cricket. “He could select the team and dictate to the management, and maybe he felt he was untouchable.”
After the Asia Cup debacle, when Babar’s performance was criticized, the analyst said that he looked quite stubborn and arrogant. “His close friends even launched ‘paid campaigns’ to support him and to make him look like a superstar beyond criticism. His arrogance can only be removed if he is removed from the national team and told to concentrate on domestic cricket.”
On the other hand, Shah Faisal, who has been watching Babar closely, said it was quite evident that the whole fiasco over the captaincy had not been easy on the cricketer. “Babar Azam is also a human being, and this [mess] must have affected him mentally. This is because many of his team members, who were like a family to him, have left him one after the other.”
“He is under a lot of mental pressure because of this, and it is reflected in his game. When Babar is not in good form, it is evident that the entire Pakistan team is under pressure because he is the key batsman.” He pointed out a ‘technical flaw’ in Babar’s batting, which has worsened his performance. “He has developed an element of complacency in his game … he has lost touch with the bat even in the easy-going Pakistani conditions in the last seven test matches.”
He said that the lack of concentration, along with the mental pressures and performance issues, has contributed to his downfall. Regarding the future, several factors will define Babar Azam’s way of returning to form. For Babar to come out of this transition period, he needs to work on both his technical and mental aspects.
Working with batting coaches and getting a word of encouragement from former players could inspire and help him. However, there are several issues that Pakistan cricket has to deal with, known as structural problems. Improving the middle order and having a batting lineup that does not rely too heavily on one or two players is crucial. Supporting under-pressure players will lead to a balance in the distribution of tasks, besides reducing the effects of any mistake made on the team’s performance.
Since Babar is not as active in leading the team at the moment, those in power should start finding ways to encourage the team and ensure coordination among them. If the current members remain unproductive, the management may need to change its structure or strategies for boosting the morale of the team. Babar Azam will have the opportunity to prove himself again in the forthcoming series against England and South Africa.
Conditions in South Africa will be tough for him, but with five Test matches and other opportunities ahead, he has a chance to regain his form and make a strong comeback.