Waqar Younis backs Babar Azam amid dip of form | PC- AFP
In Pakistan, Babar Azam often gets compared to the likes of the legendary names the Men in Green had during their golden age. However, some pundits beg to differ.
The legendary former fast bowler Waqar Younis, the country’s second-highest wicket-taker, added his thoughts to the argument by calling Babar Azam the last superstar from Pakistan.
Waqar calls Babar Azam Pakistan's last superstar, brings Tendulkar analogy to back argument
When asked about Pakistan's last superstar, Waqar Younis took the names of Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Mohammad Amir.
"Mohammad Amir is a superstar, Babar Azam is a superstar, Shaheen (Afridi) is a superstar," said Waqar Younis while naming the latest superstar cricketer from Pakistan on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube Channel.
Furthermore, the former Pakistan legendary bowler stated that Babar does not have enough support from the other end. While Babar is capable of scoring runs, Younis said lack of quality batting resources often puts pressure on the stylish batter.
"The sad part with Babar Azam is that he doesn't have anyone (support) from the other end. The story would be different if he had four big names alongside him," he added.
The cricketer-turned-coach stated the dependance on Babar Azam by comparing the vintage Pakistan of the 1990s to the current team. Meanwhile, he also compared the modern-day batter to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to strengthen his argument.
"In the 90s, we in Pakistan had six match-winners in our top six. But now, we have just one: Babar Azam. Even Sachin Tendulkar had support during his time. In the beginning, he had Sanjay Manjrekar, and later there were Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag," Waqar Younis concluded.
Babar Azam's dip in form in ODIs since 2024
In the ongoing Tri-Series against Sri Lanka and England, Babar Azam has not fared well at all in the round-robin phase. After four outings, the Pakistan number three has racked up just 118 runs at an average of 29.50, with a best score of 45.
Notably, Babar has had opportunities in all four matches, and despite getting good starts to his innings, he hasn’t been able to contribute to his team’s cause.
Such has been his story in ODI cricket for quite some time now. In the last three, Babar has hit just one century, scoring 1015 runs across 30 innings at a mere average of 37.6.
Nevertheless, the stylish batter will next be seen during the finale of the Tri-Series against Sri Lanka on October 31.
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