Mental stress is key factor in Babar's struggles: Rashid

Former Pakistan cricketer Rashid Latif has raised concerns over Babar Azam's recent dip in form, suggesting that the added pressures of captaincy may be affecting his mental health.

While speaking in a recent interview at a local sports platform, Latif believes that Azam, who was reportedly removed from his captaincy role under forceful circumstances, is struggling to cope with the mental strain.

"Mental problems seem more likely. We need to remember that he was removed forcefully as captain. When the mind is not functioning correctly, it affects the nerves as well. You try to play hard on every ball. He should let go of the idea of being a captain and focus on freeing himself from mental pressure. The issue seems to be more about mental stress than technical performance, and it's apparent that he is struggling to cope with a significant amount of mental pressure," Latif said.

The former captain emphasized that the issue seems to be more related to mental stress than any technical deficiencies in Azam's game. He urged the star batsman to alleviate the burden of leadership to regain his confidence at the crease.

Amidst mounting criticism, Babar has found support from former Indian cricketer Dinesh Karthik, who acknowledged the immense pressure Babar is under as a skipper.

"Babar Azam as a player, nobody can doubt his quality. He's got outstanding batting potential, though I feel he's under a lot of pressure as a skipper. That's something that they need to rethink about," Karthik said.

Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie also backed Babar during the recent Test series against Bangladesh, expressing confidence that the ace batter would soon rediscover his form.

"Babar is a quality player, and he's got a couple of starts. A bit like quite a few of our players, he hasn't been able to convert starts. But Babar is a world-class player he's very close, I feel it. I am really confident that we are going to see Babar scoring big runs very soon," Gillespie had said.

Kaneria slams Rizwan

Former Pakistan cricketer Danish Kaneria has lashed out at wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan, criticizing his inability to perform in crucial moments, particularly against India in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

The former spinner was asked to choose between Rizwan and Indian wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Without hesitation, the cricketer-turned-expert favored Pant, citing Rizwan's tendency to falter in key situations.

Kaneria emphasized, "He (Rizwan) doesn't score runs when it matters, that's the only problem. In the T20 World Cup, when Rizwan was on strike, Rohit Sharma deliberately brought in Jasprit Bumrah into the attack because he knew that he would get him out. It was very obvious.