Pakistan batsman Babar Azam: “To be honest there’s nervousness when I come out to bat”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan superstar Babar Azam has admitted that he feels nervous whenever he comes out to bat.
Azam carries the weight of expectation each time he bats, with many viewing him as the anchor of Pakistan’s line-up – a responsibility he has lived up to repeatedly in the past.
Given the constant pressure he faces, the 31-year-old understands that fans expect him to deliver big scores every time he walks to the crease.
“To be honest there’s nervousness when I come out to bat,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam recently featured in Pakistan’s home series against South Africa and kicked things off with 131 runs in two Tests, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.
He then made his T20I comeback and struck 79 runs in three games, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
After that came three ODIs against the Proteas, but Azam only managed to make 45 runs at an average of 15.
The Lahore native had a much better showing against Sri Lanka, amassing 165 runs in three ODIs, which included his first international hundred since August 2023, at an average of 82.50.
His solid form continued in the T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe as he finished with 127 runs in five games, which included a top score of 74, at an average of 31.75 and a strike-rate of 112.38.
Azam was not picked for Pakistan’s ongoing T20I tour of Sri Lanka and is thus playing for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he has accumulated 154 runs in eight matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 25.66 and a strike-rate of 104.05.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq