‘A team doesn’t rely solely on one player…’ – Former Pakistan cricketer defends Babar Azam despite his poor form

Former Pakistan cricketer Imran Nazir had picked up Babar Azam as the best player in cricket history despite his poor form in international cricket. Notably, the 29-year-old cricketer was last seen in action in the T20I series against New Zealand, where he could not do much as the side lost the five matches of the T20I series by 1-4. In addition, the star cricketer has resigned from his captaincy post after the ODI World Cup 2023 debacle, where his side failed to reach the playoffs after poor performances in the League stage.

However, Imran Nazir went to ignore players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc and picked up Babar Azam as his best cricketer. The 42-year-old cricketer slams the fans, who always criticize the batter, and advises them to understand the game first before making calls on the batter.

“For those who criticize Babar Azam, I would say, at least understand cricket first. He is the world’s best player, and I believe that in Pakistan, Babar is the player who, in terms of technique, as a cricketer, and as a personality, embodies what it means to be a cricketer,” Imran Nazir said.

We sideline Babar Azam and bring someone else in: Imran Nazir

The former opening batter feels that Babar Azam is the one who always faces criticism, whereas the rest of the 10 players are unaffected. Moreover, the former right-handed batter feels Babar Azam makes Pakistan extremely proud, but he has been sidelined owing to circumstances.

“A team doesn’t rely solely on one player; there are 10 other players who also contribute. He is doing his part; what about the rest? They say teamwork, how a team works together, and it’s not just one player’s teamwork. When the entire team is not doing anything, you can’t blame Babar as much as you want by lifting him, but now I also see that everyone is behind him, why don’t you say anything to the other players? He is making Pakistan proud; the rest of the world praises him and considers him a player, but here we sideline him and bring someone else in,” he added further.