Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam recently stirred controversy after an interaction with a fan turned tense during the Pakistan Champions One Day Cup 2024. Babar, currently playing for Stallions, had just finished a practice session when he stopped to take selfies with supporters. However, the situation escalated when one enthusiastic fan put his arm around Babar’s shoulder.
Uncomfortable with the gesture, Babar pushed the fan’s hand away, which led to a mixed reaction from the public. This incident comes at a challenging time for the cricketer, who was recently reinstated as Pakistan’s white-ball captain ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024.
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Despite high expectations, Pakistan failed to advance beyond the group stages of the tournament, leaving Babar’s leadership under scrutiny. His difficulties didn’t end there, as Pakistan also suffered a 2-0 defeat in a home Test series against Bangladesh. Next on Pakistan’s schedule is a three-match T20I series against England in October, giving Babar another opportunity to prove his mettle.
Performance 0
Attitude 💯
Babar Azam for you 😁 pic.twitter.com/uA5qoMVB54
— Asad Sultan (@sultanawan143) September 9, 2024
Babar’s current form has also raised concerns. In the Test series against Bangladesh, his scores were underwhelming, with innings of 0, 22, 11, and 31. His struggles have extended to domestic cricket as well, where he was dismissed for just 20 runs by uncapped spinner Mohammad Asghar in Stallions’ first match of the Champions One Day Cup.
This ongoing slump has seen Babar fall out of the ICC’s Top 10 batters’ rankings for the first time in a decade. Questions about his leadership have been swirling, with some speculating that his captaincy could be at risk.
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However, according to a PCB source, the decision on whether to replace Babar as captain will be left to the team’s coaches and selectors. “There has been no discussion on changing the captains,” the source revealed. “Kirsten and Gillespie are very clear that Shan and Babar both need to be given a proper run before judging their leadership abilities.”
