Babar Azam’s Smiling Face

Perhaps back to the days of the World Cup, when the camera panned toward Babar Azam sitting in the Pakistani dugout, head bowed in disappointment. His poor form was the reason. Seeing him like that saddened me greatly. I even began writing a column titled “Babar Azam’s Sad Face”, but later deleted it unfinished,hoping that he would soon return to form, so I could instead write “Babar Azam’s Smiling Face.” Thankfully, that moment arrived just a few months later.

When a player fails to perform and the media highlights shortcomings, fans often assume journalists are against him. That is not the case. Babar is not just the star of one city,he represents the entire country. His name is associated not with Lahore, but with Pakistan. Through consistent performances, he set such high standards that even scoring a fifty seemed insufficient. Then his form deserted him, and this phase continued for years.

During this time, Babar made some mistakes. The biggest was staying away from domestic cricket, which denied him the opportunity to regain form quickly. When a person achieves greatness, their ego sometimes prevents them from seeking advice from seniors,thinking, “I am such a big star, what can anyone teach me?” Babar, too, did not engage much with past greats to fix his flaws, and that hurt him.

Even now, his return to form has come through domestic competition,the Pakistan Super League. Playing for Peshawar Zalmi, he once again looks like the old Babar,someone who enjoys his game fully. Not only is he performing himself, but he is also inspiring others, which is why his team has climbed to the top of the points table.

His fans may not like hearing this, but the truth is that there is a vast difference between the standard of league cricket and international cricket. Small boundaries, flat pitches, and weaker bowling can make any batter look like Don Bradman.However, Babar Azam has a class of his own. After a long time, Pakistan has found a player of such high quality. Confidence was also an issue,because without confidence, you can’t even cross the road. In international cricket, Babar’s recent struggles were largely due to a lack of self-belief.

However, it now seems that this issue is being resolved.

Going forward, he must handle his career carefully. During his difficult phase, Babar must have realized that the group under whose “saaya ” he operated caused him more harm than benefit. Those people used his name to rise for their own gain. He must now be cautious in this regard.

He should also avoid getting carried away by titles like “King” and forget comparisons with Virat Kohli. Instead, he should perform in a way that Indian cricketers are compared to him. Interestingly, the same people who praised him during his success criticized him harshly during his struggles.

He should quietly focus on his game and stay away from social media as much as possible. There is still a lot of cricket left in him. Next year’s ICC Cricket World Cup is approaching, and Pakistan will need the real Babar Azam to win it. He has not performed well against India,he must break that mental barrier and deliver against big teams.

So far, he has played only a few good innings in the PSL, yet his so-called friends have already started campaigning on social media to reinstate him as the T20 captain. In reality, captaincy also harmed Babar. Close friends in the national team drifted away, his focus on personal performance weakened, and his form suffered. There came a time when he not only lost captaincy but also his place in the team.

Now, he should focus solely on his batting and not think about captaincy at all. Salman Ali Agha is currently out of form and may lose leadership, leading to a new captain,but that is the board’s concern. Babar’s job is to perform with the bat.

He can break many records, but if he gets distracted again by captaincy or titles like “King,” he may not get another chance. There was a time when we thought the new generation lacked a cricketer who could inspire others or attract audiences,even advertisements relied on former stars. Then came Babar Azam, who quickly made his mark. Crowds would chant “Babar! Babar!” as he walked onto the field.

Then came the decline,but now, a resurgence seems visible. This opportunity must not be wasted. Whether facing a Pakistani bowler like Jahandad Khan  or international bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Rashid Khan, Babar’s class remains the same,and the whole world knows it.

He has had the chance to address his weaknesses and has benefited from it. Now we want to see that same Babar Azam again,the one whose cover drive has mesmerized the world. If he scores runs at a strike rate of 170, who would be foolish enough to drop him? Everyone would want him to make the most of the powerplay and score freely.

Yes, if he retreats back into his shell, criticism will follow. It is essential to move with the times. Perhaps Babar understands this now. It seems the old Babar has returned.

What do you think?