インド党とパキスタンの前にICCの統計とランキングのためにプレーしたと非難されたババール・アザム

Babar Azam has been labelled as ‘selfish’ before the India vs. Pakistan match. The star batter has been accused of playing for himself, i.e., to improve his batting statistics and ICC ranking. Former Pakistan player Danish Kaneria has hurled this accusation towards the former captain, who was the Men in Green’s second-highest scorer against New Zealand.

Babar Azam labelled as selfish

While chasing a massive 321-run target in the ICC Champions Trophy opener at the National Stadium, Babar, who opened the batting, ended with a 71.11 strike rate. The runs required per over was 6.42 before the second innings started and by the time he departed, it was 10.50.

Many hailed it as one of the worst ODI knocks of all time. At no time did it look like Babar was going for the chase. Pakistan was already hampered with Fakhar Zaman being unable to move and bat properly due to an ankle injury. Yet, Babar looked to be batting in his comfort zone, unwilling to play as per the tempo of the game.

“If we talk about Babar Azam, he is playing for himself. When he is under pressure, he focuses on keeping his stats and ICC ranking intact. I have scored a fifty; I have done it. But where is the intent of winning the match for your side?” Kaneria told PTI Video.

What if Babar Azam fails in the India vs. Pakistan match?

It’ll be fascinating to see how Babar responds. His returns have been poor across formats for the last couple of years. He was dropped from Pakistan’s Test team, but that hasn’t happened in limited overs. If he fails in the India vs. Pakistan match at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, he might be axed from the ODI team as well.