Afridi Critiques Babar Azam’s Match-Winning Prowess in ODI World Cup

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has expressed his views on Babar Azam’s performance, highlighting that the star Pakistani batsman’s runs and match-winning abilities are not on par with India’s Virat Kohli and KL Rahul.

Afridi’s comments come at a crucial time for Pakistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup, with the team on the verge of being knocked out, having lost four out of seven games played. Follow your favourite cricket team with attractive betting odds from Nextbet.

In his assessment, Afridi acknowledged that Babar Azam can indeed accumulate runs for his side, but he pointed out that the key difference lies in his ability to lead Pakistan to victory. Drawing a comparison with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul from India, Afridi emphasized that these two players not only score runs but also play pivotal roles in ensuring their team’s success.

“Babar Azam ka run run karna alag cheez hai lekin Babar Azam ke score se match jeetna alag hai. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul wagerah kya karte hai? Woh apne run bhi karte hai, balls bhi khelte hai aur apne team ko jita ke bhi aate hai. (Babar scoring runs and Babar scoring runs in a winning cause are two different things. Look at what Virat Kohli and KL Rahul do. They score their runs, consume deliveries and make sure they win the match for the team),” Afridi explained in an interview with SAMAA TV.

While Afridi expressed his admiration for Babar Azam, he noted the gap between the batsman’s potential and his actual impact on match outcomes. According to Afridi, Babar, as a prominent figure in Pakistani cricket, should instill confidence in fans that he can lead the team to victory, but that confidence has yet to materialize.

“I’m Babar’s fan, make no mistake. We say Babar is a big player. Reaching that level is one thing, and maintaining your performance once you reach that level is much more difficult. When Babar Azam walks in to bat, we should get a feeling that he will win it for us. But that feeling doesn’t come. We know that he will score 50-60, but we are confident that he will win us the match,” Afridi concluded.

Babar Azam, who entered the 2023 ODI World Cup as the No. 1 ODI batter, has had a mixed tournament. He has scored a total of 216 runs from seven games, including three half-centuries, at an average of 30.85. Interestingly, Pakistan has faced defeats in matches where Babar managed to score a fifty, highlighting the gap between individual performance and match results.