Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been receiving severe criticism due to his team's dismal show at the ongoing ODI World Cup. Not just the team but Babar's performance is also not up to mark as the 29-year-old batter has scored 216 runs in seven matches. However, Pakistan finally took a sigh of relief on Tuesday as they defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets and kept their semi-finals hopes alive. With that loss, Bangladesh became the first team to get officially knocked out of semis race.
After the win against Bangladesh, a video of former Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi went viral where he was seen giving the example of Virat Kohli and advising Babar to focus not only on his individual performance but also on team's victory.
"Scoring runs is one thing, but winning matches is another. Players like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul not only score runs but also contribute with the ball and help their teams secure victories. I have talked to Babar Azam about this previously," Afridi said on Samaa TV.
"We often refer to Babar as a significant player, but it's essential for big players to deliver consistent performances and win matches for their team. While he may make it to the top, he also needs to excel and maintain his form. Observing Babar, it should be clear that when he steps onto the field, he has the potential to secure victories. However, I don't get the feeling that Babar will win you matches when he walks out to bat. The general feeling with Babar is that he will score 50-60 runs when he walks out to bat," he added.
Earlier, former Pakistan skipper Ramiz Raja also urged Babar to dig deep and find a way to grind during those difficult phases, be it against pace or spin.
"All he needs to do is work his way through to a hundred where he faces pace, spin, and feels comfortable about his role. He is not entirely out of touch, he is still middling the ball, but it's that when he begins his innings against spin, he looks just a little bit jittery," said Ramiz.