"Muh Utha Ke Shots Nahi Khel Sakte": Babar Azam Drops Another Banger In Press Conference
Babar Azam dropped an epic reply when asked if he has worked on his game in order to better suit the T20 format.
- Babar Azam has a strike rate of 130.68 in the current PSL season
- Babar cited pitch conditions as a key factor for varying batting approaches
- He emphasised adapting game plans and said: "Muh utha ke shots nahi khel sakte"
Pakistan Super League (PSL) press conferences are turning out to be more fun than their matches on the field. Just days after Babar Azam lost his cool at a reporter for questioning his ability to finish games, while drawing comparisons with Virat Kohli, he has now questioned another journalist. The biggest problem with the Peshawar Zalmi skipper, at least as far as his T20 career is concerned, has been his strike rate. The veteran Pakistani batter was asked if he has reworked on his game, at least that was what the franchise's coach Misbah-ul-Haq suggested. He gave an epic reply.
In comparison to his teammates, Babar's strike rate is among the lowest. The likes of Kusal Mendis, who has scored the most runs for the franchise this season -- 309 in five innings -- has a strike rate of 171.67. Babar's countryman Sahibzada Farhan, who also plays for Peshawar Zalmi, has scored 249 runs at an even more explosive strike rate of 180.43. Babar, on the other hand, has a strike rate of just 130.68 this season so far.
"You have to play differently at different positions, what the requirement is while keeping an eye on the scoreboard too. I feel you have to assess conditions first. Like on the Karachi wicket on which he made 240, the next day it wasn't the same and we barely managed to score 180. So, the conditions matter," Babar told reporters when a question on scoring rate came up in the press conference after Zalmi defeated Multan Sultans by 24 runs on Monday.
“Conditions or situation bht matter krti hai ap har din aa k muh utha k shots ni mar skty agli team b working kr k ati hai.”
— Abu Bakar Tarar (@abubakartarar_) April 13, 2026
Babar Azam opens up on strike rate matter pic.twitter.com/wyWqsLd3fb
Babar even argued that there's a need to apply sense to the game and not go blazing from the word go. At least as far as he is concerned, that isn't his approach.
"Every day you won't get the same pitch, you can't play the same way, opponents would've planned for you. Muh utha kar shots nahi khel sakte (Can't just start playing shots without giving it a thought). You have to come up with a different game plan every day. If you are batting in the first six overs, then obviously I know I have to utilise (Powerplay). Then you have to build a partnership, take chances, target bowlers," he asserted.
Peshawar Zalmi
Babar Azam