From relief of the century to ICC reprimand and a duck: Babar Azam’s roller coaster week hits new low | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Babar Azam’s long-awaited return to triple-digit form was supposed to mark the start of a resurgence. Instead, days after ending an 807-day, 83-innings drought, the Pakistani superstar was plunged into a new cycle of scrutiny – fined by the ICC for misconduct and dismissed for a duck in the opening match of the tri-series T20I against Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi on Tuesday.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!The emotional change was brutal. The same week he celebrated a cathartic century against Sri Lanka, Babar came off against Zimbabwe needing stability at No.3, only to be trapped LBW for a three-ball duck from Brad Evans. This continued a worrying trend: it was Babar’s third duck in his last six T20Is, and it also pushed him past Shahid Afridi for the most ducks by a Pakistani batter in T20Is (nine).
Adding to the turbulence, the ICC earlier announced that Babar had been fined 10 per cent of his match fee for “misuse of cricket equipment” after hitting the stumps with his bat during his dismissal during the third ODI against Sri Lanka. It was his first offense in 24 months, earning him a demerit point.The irony is hard to ignore. Babar’s triumphant century last week – his 20th in ODIs – was intended to silence critics after almost two years of questions over form and leadership. Instead, the 31-year-old now finds himself faced with new headlines that once again challenge his trajectory.
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Former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja, who met Babar recently, revealed the batter’s private frustration over incessant scrutiny. “I met him at a cafe and he expressed his frustration with how he had to deal with the criticism, the personal comments about his place in the team and his performance,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel. His advice was clear: “Be patient and exercise restraint…your only job is to perform on the field.” »Ramiz said he was “very happy” to see Babar back among the contenders and insisted that debates over strike rate should not cloud his game. “He has all the shots… he just needs to hit longer.”For Pakistan, however, the worry is immediate: After a well-deserved high, their opener is suddenly back under the microscope – again.
