Abdur Rauf: “Babar has lost a lot of very important credentials of batting. This is not the platform to mend your mistakes; you are just building more pressure on yourself. Your advisors are piece[s] of s***. If you continue like this, how long will you survive?”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Explaining his stance, Rauf said Azam should avoid participating in T20 tournaments such as the Big Bash League (BBL), arguing that such platforms do not help address flaws in his game.
He added that these leagues only increase pressure on the 31-year-old, whose form for Pakistan has been inconsistent in recent outings.
Instead, Rauf suggested that Azam should focus on red-ball cricket, such as first-class or county cricket, to build longer innings and refine his technique.
“Babar has lost a lot of very important credentials of batting. This is not the platform to mend your mistakes; you are just building more pressure on yourself. Your advisors are piece[s] of s***. If you continue like this, how long will you survive?” he said on X, as quoted by A Sports.
“Long format, county cricket or domestic first-class cricket is the only platform for you to work on your technique, spend most of the time on the pitch, play long innings, [and] then you will manage to improve your faults. It will not only relax your mind but also relieve stress from your body.
“Why are you putting more pressure on yourself by playing short formats and these leagues? You have enough money to pass your life comfortably, then why are you running after it and putting more stress on your mind and body that will lead you to ruin your career in the end?”
Azam recently represented Pakistan in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where he made 91 runs in six matches at an average of 22.75 and a strike-rate of 112.34.
He subsequently missed the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh but returned to action in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he captained Peshawar Zalmi to the title.
Azam was in phenomenal form throughout PSL 11, finishing as the highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 games, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
The Pakistan team are currently playing a two-Test series against Bangladesh, but Azam was ruled out of the ongoing 1st Test in Mirpur with a left knee injury.
It remains to be seen if he will recover in time for the 2nd Test, which begins on May 16 in Sylhet.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Abdullah Fazal, Amad Butt, Azan Awais, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi
MORE PAKISTAN CRICKET NEWS: Babar Azam kept guiding me, up-and-coming Pakistan batsman says