Babar Azam is a great player only on social media: Basit Ali takes aim at Pak captain

Pakistan captain Babar Azam has come under fire from former cricketer Basit Ali after yet another disappointing outing in the ongoing Test series against England. Babar, who returned to the side for the second Test at Lord’s after recovering from a finger injury, managed only 8 and 6 as Pakistan suffered a defeat by 194 runs and took an elusive 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

The poor yields have again highlighted the prolonged drought in the Test century in Babar. His last hundred came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022 and the Pakistan captain has now gone four years without reaching three figures in the format despite remaining one of the country’s most watched batsmen.

Basit did not hold back when he questioned whether Babar had delivered enough when Pakistan needed him most.

“They didn’t just become great players. I’m not even talking about Sachin Tendulkar. I’m talking about my countrymen. If you don’t do anything in tough times, what’s the point? You’re a great player in terms of fan following. You’re a great player in front of social media,” Basit said on YouTube’s The Game Plan.

“When are you going to do it? I am talking about Babar (Azam). I will take his name. He hasn’t scored a (Test) hundred in four years. When are you going to do it? It is a matter of pain. When the batting of the whole country depends on you. At least don’t get hit with such a shot,” he added.

BABAR AND PAKISTAN FIGHT IN ENGLAND

Pakistan’s batting has been the biggest problem of the series, with the team failing to cross 200 in any of their innings so far. At Lord’s, they were bowled out for 110 in the first innings before managing 194 while chasing a daunting target of 389. Saud Shakeel’s 97 was the only major act of resistance in the second innings.

For Babar, the Lord’s trial was particularly frustrating. His aggregate of 14 runs from two innings marked his lowest match total when batting twice since January 2025. Pakistan had hoped the return of their captain would bolster a fragile batting line-up, but his failure only added to the pressure surrounding the team.

Pakistan now face the prospect of a 3-0 draw when the final Test begins in Birmingham on September 9, while Babar will once again carry the weight of expectation as he tries to silence his growing list of critics.

– The end

Issued by:

sabyasachi chowdhury

Published on:

01 Sep 2026 22:31 IST