Mohammad Kaif: “Babar Azam still plays ODI cricket from [the] 1980s. Just two boundaries against part-time spinners, milking runs in middle overs. This doesn’t work in modern cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has slammed Pakistan batsman Babar Azam, saying he “still plays ODI cricket from [the] 1980s”.
Kaif’s criticism comes after Azam scored 64 runs off 90 balls in the opening game of the 2025 Champions Trophy, where Pakistan took on New Zealand.
He noted that the 30-year-old played too slowly and needed to score quicker as this is what modern cricket demands.
“Babar Azam still plays ODI cricket from [the] 1980s. Just two boundaries against part-time spinners, milking runs in middle overs. This doesn’t work in modern cricket,” Kaif was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam finished the Champions Trophy with 87 runs in two games at an average of 43.50.
The men in green crashed out in the group stage of the tournament as they lost to New Zealand and India, while their final game against Bangladesh was washed out.
Pakistan are now playing a limited overs series against New Zealand, which consists of five T20Is and three ODIs.
They lost the 1st T20I by nine wickets and will look to level the series in the 2nd T20I on March 18 in Dunedin.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir
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