Iqbal Qasim: “Pakistan has invested in Babar Azam. It is our collective responsibility to encourage him, not to discourage him with criticism”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan left-arm spinner Iqbal Qasim has urged people to encourage batsman Babar Azam rather than criticise him.
Azam is fighting through a rough patch that has lasted for many months, but has periodically shown flashes of brilliance.
Given how much the 30-year-old has done for Pakistan cricket over the years, Qasim wants to see him get back to his best, and called on everyone else to keep supporting the Lahore native.
“Pakistan has invested in Babar Azam. It is our collective responsibility to encourage him, not to discourage him with criticism,” he told Sports World as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
During the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), Azam had a solid campaign while captaining the Peshawar Zalmi as he accumulated 288 runs in 10 games, which included three fifties, at an average of 36 and a strike-rate of 128.57.
Despite this, he was left out of Pakistan’s squad for their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore, the T20I tour of Bangladesh, and the T20I series against the West Indies.
However, Azam did feature in the three-match ODI series against the West Indies and scored 56 runs at an average of 18.66.
After their tour of the West Indies, Pakistan played a T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah, which they won.
The men in green’s next assignment will be the 2025 Asia Cup, which will be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28.
Azam was not included in Pakistan’s team for the T20I tri-series and Asia Cup.
Pakistan squad for UAE T20I tri-series and 2025 Asia Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem
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