Danish Kaneria: “If we talk about Babar Azam, he is playing for himself. When he is under pressure, he focuses on keeping his stats and ICC ranking intact”

Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani

Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has accused batsman Babar Azam of “playing for himself” when batting.

He feels the 31-year-old only cares about his own statistics and ICC ranking, where he currently sits in 23rd place among Test batsmen, sixth in ODIs and joint 29th in T20Is.

In Pakistan’s recent home series against South Africa, Azam scored 131 runs in two Tests, including a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.

He followed it up with consistent performances in the T20Is, tallying 79 runs in three matches with a best of 68 at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.

The three ODIs against the Proteas yielded modest returns – 45 runs at an average of 15 – but Azam bounced back strongly in the three ODIs against Sri Lanka, amassing 165 runs at an average of 82.50, which included his first international century since August 2023.

He then featured in a T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, where he accumulated 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.

“If we talk about Babar Azam, he is playing for himself. When he is under pressure, he focuses on keeping his stats and ICC ranking intact,” Kaneria told PTI Video as quoted by NDTV.

Azam did not take part in Pakistan’s T20I tour of Sri Lanka and has instead been involved in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he has struck 154 runs in eight matches for the Sydney Sixers, which includes two half-centuries, at an average of 25.66 and a strike-rate of 104.05.

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