New Delhi: Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam’s rough patch is refusing to come to an end. His bat is not clicking even in the Big Bash League. A recent video of former Australia opener and commentator Mark Waugh has only made it worse. When asked how Sydney Sixers, the team Babar plays for, can possibly win the tournament, Waugh said, “I am going to have to drop Babar Azam.”
Pakistanis are both angry and ashamed. They are angry because given Babar’s form, they know Waugh is right but they prefer not hearing it from the Aussies. They are ashamed because their once favourite cricketer has consistently been in a bad form.
Babar has had a controversial BBL run. In an earlier match, Steve Smith denied him a single run on the final ball, following which Babar showed aggression on the ground. Many said his gesture was uncalled for. In his last game against Perth Scorchers, he was out for a duck.
Despite this, Pakistanis are loyal to their star player. They are calling out Waugh as “an attention seeker.”
“It’s all a tactics to stay in the people’s head. All he needs is his name making stories on social media. He wants some popularity. Meanwhile Babar Azam won 2 games for Sydney Sixers (for him away condition) When smith was not available,” an X user, Janbaazian, wrote.
Others presented some stats as counter points.
“What about Maxwell with 13 avg, Konstas 16 avg, Owen 16, JFM 16, Connolly 18 and Captain Moises himself with 14 avg? All of these also have SR under 115,” Hamza asked on X.
He then added: “Just another day of Aussies thinking that they are from another planet.”
Another confident user gave a challenge: “The King will show you on Friday and in the final on Sunday.”
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‘Humiliation ritual’
But there are skeptics too and they have an advice for Babar Azam: “Leave the cricket before the cricket leaves you”.
Yet, another Pakistani said Babar should now give an excuse like a “bad stomach” to save his face and return.
“Itni bezati Babar ab to tumhe chahiye pait dard ka bhana kar ke wapis aa jao (Such embarrassment, Babar. Now you should make up an excuse of a bad stomach and come back),” an X user, Mateen Ullah, wrote.
Soon, suggestions were flowing. Rehan Mazhar, another Pakistani cricket fan, added that Babar Azam should play in the middle order.
“Honestly, I feel like the best move would be to have Josh Philippe and Steve Smith open together. That combo just makes sense. Just replace Babar Azam with Jordan Silk and play him straight in the middle-order, simple swap, nothing fancy, keeps the balance clean. #BBL15,” he wrote on X.
One user, Hania Qadir, simply added a one-word opinion to sum up the debate: “Humiliation ritual”.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)