Babar Azam is one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He is the current number one ranked batsman in ODIs and T20Is, and he has broken numerous records during his career. However, in recent months, Azam has been struggling with his form. He has been dropped from the Pakistan Test team, and his ODI and T20I form has also been inconsistent.
Azam’s decline in form began in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. He scored just 22 runs in three innings, and Pakistan was knocked out of the tournament in the group stage. After the World Cup, Azam was appointed captain of the Pakistan Test team. However, he was unable to lead Pakistan to a win in any of his three Tests as captain.
Azam’s form has also been inconsistent in ODIs and T20Is. He has scored just one century in his last 10 ODI innings, and his average has dropped from 63.4 to 47.2. In T20Is, Azam has scored just one half-century in his last seven innings, and his average has dropped from 45.1 to 37.2.
Azam’s struggles have been compounded by a number of dropped catches. In the recent ODI series against Australia, Azam dropped a catch off the bowling of Shaheen Shah Afridi that would have dismissed Travis Head. Head went on to score a century, and Australia won the match by 5 wickets.
Azam’s struggles have led to calls for him to be dropped from the Pakistan team. However, Pakistan coach Misbah-ul-Haq has defended Azam, saying that he is still a valuable member of the team.
It is unclear when Azam will be able to return to his best form. However, he is still a young player, and he has the talent to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
Possible reasons for Azam’s decline
There are a number of possible reasons for Azam’s decline in form. One option is that he is just fatigued.Azam has been playing non-stop cricket for the past few years, and he may be feeling the effects of the workload.
Another possibility is that Azam is under too much pressure. Azam is the captain of Pakistan, and he is expected to perform at a high level every time he steps on the field. This pressure may be affecting his performance.
It is also possible that Azam is simply going through a bad patch of form. Even the best batsmen in the world go through periods where they struggle. Azam is a talented player, and he has the ability to turn things around.
What can Azam do to improve his form?
There are a number of things that Azam can do to improve his form. One thing he can do is to take a break from cricket. Azam has been playing non-stop cricket for the past few years, and he may need to rest his body and mind.
Azam can also try to reduce the pressure on himself. He needs to remember that he is still a young player, and he has plenty of time to improve his game. Azam should focus on enjoying his cricket and playing to his natural game.
Finally, Azam needs to work on his fielding. He has dropped a number of catches in recent matches, and this has cost Pakistan valuable runs. Azam needs to improve his concentration and focus in the field.
Azam is a talented player, and he has the ability to return to his best form. However, he needs to take some time off, reduce the pressure on himself, and work on his fielding. If he can do these things, he will be back to scoring centuries and winning matches for Pakistan in no time.