Ramiz Raja: “Even if Babar breaks every batting record in the world, some people in Pakistan will still question him”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has passionately defended batsman Babar Azam, saying critics will find reasons to attack him even if he “breaks every batting record in the world.”
Azam has long been one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers across all formats, but the past year has brought inconsistent form that has fuelled intense scrutiny.
Rather than questioning the 31-year-old and kicking him while he is down, Ramiz urged fans and pundits to continue backing him and showing him the love and support he deserves.
“Even if Babar breaks every batting record in the world, some people in Pakistan will still question him,” he was quoted as saying on Facebook.
Azam recently played in Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against Australia and scored 76 runs, which included a top score of 50 not out, at an average of 38 and a strike-rate of 124.59.
He is now representing the men in green in the 2026 T20 World Cup and and amassed 66 runs in three matches at an average of 22 and a strike-rate of 115.78.
Pakistan began their campaign with wins over the Netherlands and United States of America before losing to India.
Their next match will be against Namibia on February 18 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2026 T20 World Cup: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq