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Pakistan’s early exit from the T20 World Cup has sparked a wave of criticism, with captain Babar Azam facing the brunt of it. His underwhelming batting performance has been a hot topic, and former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth didn’t hold back his opinions on the matter.
‘You Can’t Do Tuk-Tuking’
In an interview with Star Sports, Srikkanth stated, “I don’t think Babar should play T20 cricket. You can’t do this tuk-tuking all the time in T20 cricket. They say Babar scored 4,000 runs like Virat or Rohit, but his strike rate is only 112-115. What are you talking about?”
Concerns Over Babar’s Strike Rate
Srikkanth’s main concern is Babar’s low strike rate in T20 matches. Throughout the T20 World Cup 2024, Babar has struggled, managing only 90 runs in 3 games. His overall performance has often been hindered by his conservative batting approach, which Srikkanth believes negatively impacts the team.
Not the Only Critic
Srikkanth is not alone in his critique. Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik also suggested that Babar should relinquish his captaincy to focus on his batting. Malik commented, “I have been saying for a long time, please leave the captaincy. You are a class player, and you will only be able to show your class when you do not have additional responsibilities on you. If Babar stays away from captaincy, it will be good for him. People keep talking about Babar and Rizwan’s strike rates, so you brought in Saim Ayub.”
Conclusion
The calls for Babar Azam to either change his playing style or step down from T20 cricket highlight the pressure on him and the need for a more aggressive approach in the shorter format of the game. Whether Babar will heed this advice and make changes remains to be seen, but it’s clear that his performance will be under scrutiny in future matches.
