Azhar Ali: “We are also to blame for the poor performance of Babar, we degraded instead of supporting”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Azhar Ali has admitted that a lot of people are to blame for Babar Azam’s lengthy rough patch with the bat as “we degraded instead of supporting” him.
Babar endured a difficult phase for an extended period, during which he was even dropped from Pakistan’s T20I side.
The 31-year-old has since shown signs of a return to form, especially during the 2026 Pakistan Super League, where he captained the Peshawar Zalmi to the title and finished as the top 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.
He carried that momentum into the Test arena, scoring 115 runs in one match against Bangladesh, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
In the subsequent three-match ODI series against Australia, the Lahore native made 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
“We are also to blame for the poor performance of Babar, we degraded instead of supporting,” Azhar was quoted as saying by Khel Shel on X.
Pakistan’s next assignment is a two-Test tour of the West Indies, scheduled to be played in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.