Pakistan’s disastrous ICC Champions Trophy campaign ended in disappointment, with the hosts failing to register a single win. Their final group-stage game against Bangladesh in Rawalpindi was washed out, and they finished last in the Group A standings. A heavy defeat to arch-rivals India only deepened the wounds, raising serious concerns about the team’s future.
Among those facing the brunt of the criticism is former captain Babar Azam, whose underwhelming performances against New Zealand and India have made him a primary target for scrutiny.
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However, a video of former Pakistan captain Salman Butt defending Babar went viral on the social media platforms, urging fans to back him despite his current struggles.
In the video, Butt, speaking on GNN HD News, highlighted Babar’s career statistics to counter his critics.
“His Test average with 9 centuries and 29 fifties is 42.77. One-day average is 55.50 with 19 centuries and 35 half-centuries. In T20Is he has an average of 39.83, strike-rate of 129. Someone tell me if these stats have been beaten by any single player in Pakistan in the last 20 years,” Butt stated.
With Pakistan’s cricketing struggles laid bare, particularly in contrast to India’s well-oiled machine, Butt dismissed unfair comparisons and called for realistic expectations.
“Talk sense. You don’t have a Kohli or a Williamson. Babar is no Kohli. But Babar is the best that we have,” he stressed. “If he’s not scoring runs, he needs back-up now. When he’s scoring, even if you don’t like him, you will have to sing his praises with the world.”
Babar managed just 23 runs against India before a rash drive off Hardik Pandya ended his innings. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli‘s match-winning century further widened the perceived gap between the two cricketing powerhouses. However, Butt argued that Babar’s struggles are also due to the lack of a strong supporting cast.
“This dip in form, even Kohli had it. But Kohli is such a high-class player that he kept scoring 50s in those matches,” Butt explained. “Who did he have with him? Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni. Big players, match-winners. Who does Babar have?”
Pakistan now face an uncertain future following their dismal showing in a home ICC event, with major questions looming over the team’s leadership and structure.