According to former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, Babar Azam does not guarantee a victory like Indian players Virat Kohli and KL Rahul do for their team. Pakistan has lost four of its first seven matches in the 2023 ODI World Cup, and they are on the verge of elimination.
Babar would score runs for his team, according to Shahid Afridi, but he couldn’t help Pakistan win the match. The renowned all-rounder further compares the 29-year-old to Rahul and Kohli, asserting that India’s hitters produce runs and lead the team to victory.
“Babar Azam ka score se match jeetna alag hai, but Babar Azam ka run run karna alag cheez hai. Is Virat Kohli betting on KL Rahul right now? Oh my, we’re going to run together, we’re going to be ballsy, and we’re going to be a team. (Babar scoring runs is not the same as Babar scoring runs for a winning team. Observe the actions of KL Rahul and Virat Kohli.
They win the game for the team, score runs, and take advantage of deliveries,” Shahid Afridi said on SAMAA TV.
The 46-year-old continued, describing the 29-year-old as a “big player” and admitting that he is a fan of his. However, he also mentioned that they are meant to have a feeling that Babar will win the match for Pakistan, but sadly, that hasn’t happened yet.
“I’m not a fan of Babar Azam, please. Babar is considered a major player. It’s one thing to get to that level, but it’s quite another to keep performing at that level. We should sense that Babar Azam will win it for us when he enters the game to bat. But the emotion is absent. We are certain that he will win us the game even if we know he will score 50–60,” he said.
It’s important to note that Babar was considered one of the batters to watch coming into the competition. But in seven games, the top ODI batsman has amassed 216 runs at an average of 30.85, including three half-centuries. Notably, Babar scored fifty during Pakistan’s losses.
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