Follow UsDespite amassing 4223 runs, Babar Azam’s time as a T20I batter seems to have ended rather abruptly, as the new Pakistan management have sidelined the batter from the shortest format. Even in his last year of T20I cricket (2024), the right-hander had amassed 738 runs in 23 appearances, averaging 33.54, including hitting six fifties.
However, concerns over Pakistan’s T20I form against top teams and concerns over his strike rate saw the former Pakistan skipper drop out of the team. While he continues to be away from Pakistan’s T20I side, that move didn’t go well with former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan, who backed Babar’s talent.
“Babar isn’t a bad batter,” Mohsin was quoted as saying by PTI.
“But you need a clutch of quality players around him to support him. Look at Virat Kohli — in Tests he had Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul. In ODIs he had Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. A great player is made even greater when surrounded by other strong players.”
Mohsin added that Babar finds himself in this tough position because of the lack of support around him, and the ‘unreal expectations’ from fans.
“If you are always put under pressure that you have to score centuries every time you step out, they are humans too — hence at times you aren’t able to play the game the team requires you to play,” he said.
Citing examples from his own era, Mohsin reckoned that a cricket team is built on a group of players with similar qualities, unlike the current Pakistan side, where he believes there’s a huge gulf between Babar and the others.
“During our time there was Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, and later Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf and Younis Khan. Teams are built on numbers — you need a group of players who are more or less of the same quality. Right now, there is a big gulf between Babar and the rest.”