Mohammad Rizwan: “The issue with Babar Azam is that we demand runs from him in every match. He has become a brand, and perhaps that pressure is affecting him someway. Maybe luck isn’t on his side right now”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan limited overs captain Mohammad Rizwan feels it is possible that luck isn’t on batsman Babar Azam’s side right now.
Azam has struggled to score runs consistently as of late, which has become a major problem for the men in green.
During the recent ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, the 30-year-old opened the batting and amassed 62 runs in three matches at an average of 20.66.
Rizwan admitted that people “demand runs from him in every match” and acknowledged that Azam might be faltering due to the immense pressure he is under.
“The issue with Babar Azam is that we demand runs from him in every match. He has become a brand, and perhaps that pressure is affecting him someway. Maybe luck isn’t on his side right now,” he was quoted as saying by A Sports.
After the ODI tri-series, Azam featured in the 2025 Champions Trophy and accumulated 87 runs in two games, which included a top score of 64, at an average of 43.50.
Pakistan saw their campaign come to an end in the group stage as they lost to New Zealand and India, while their final match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah
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