Atiq-uz-Zaman on Babar Azam: “I actually offered my services to him, but he did not bother replying”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Atiq-uz-Zaman said he offered to help Babar Azam, but the star batsman “did not bother replying”.
Azam has struggled to score runs consistently over the past few months and questions have been raised about the reason behind his poor form.
Atiq noted that the 30-year-old is simply having bad luck and feels he would benefit by working with a sports psychologist.
“I actually offered my services to him, but he did not bother replying. So, [he] might be angry about a couple of comments I made, but I make comments not to let him down. I make comments [that] basically can help him improve. He needed a sports psychologist, he needs a very good, top-class sports psychologist who can actually take him out because everything is going wrong with him,” he told PakPassion.
“You know, even the ball, some of the players who miss those edges, he’s not missing those edges. Some of the players just drive for four on the on-side and he’s getting hit on the pads. It’s completely bad luck and it’s happening to Babar. I think the only person who will take him out is Babar himself.”
In Pakistan’s two-Test series against Bangladesh, Azam only managed to make 64 runs at an average of 16.
He then featured in the three-Test series against England, but only played the first match and made scores of 30 and 5.
Currently, the Lahore native is in action in Pakistan’s limited overs series against Australia, which consists of three ODIs and three T20Is.
In the ODIs, he amassed 80 runs at an average of 80 as Pakistan won 2-1, which was their first ODI series win in Australia since 2002.
As for the T20Is, Azam scored three runs in the first game, which the men in green lost by 29 runs after it was reduced to a seven-over affair.
Once their tour of Australia is complete, Pakistan will head to Zimbabwe to play three ODIs and three T20Is from November 24 to December 5.
Pakistan Squad for Australia ODI Series: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi
Pakistan Squad for Australia T20I Series: Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Bin Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe ODI Series: Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faisal Akram, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Irfan Khan, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shahnawaz Dahani, Tayyab Tahir
Pakistan Squad for Zimbabwe T20I Series: Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Irfan Khan, Omair bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Sahibzada Farhan, Salman Ali Agha, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir, Usman Khan