Babar Azam’s batting slump and exclusion from Pakistan’s Test set-up have stemmed from decreasing expectations after losing captaincy, remarked former India opener Virender Sehwag.
Babar’s dwindling red-ball returns co-incided with him being ‘rested’ alongwith senior pacers Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah. Though the trio were considered central to Pakistan’s plans to stall a string of Test defeats, Pakistan opted for a complete overhaul after their heavy defeat to England in the first Test in Multan.
After shoring up the squad with spinners Sajid Khan and Noman Ali besides uncapped batter Kamran Ghulam replacing Babar, Pakistan made a remarkable turnaround in the second Test, securing a 152-run win to level the series.
Sehwag who recorded over 8000 runs in both Tests and ODIs for India, said that Babar will have to reinvent himself by returning to the domestic grind. “Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player,” Sehwag said on former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar’s Youtube channel.
With Ghulam also hitting a century on debut at No. 4, the pressure has mounted on Babar who led the team across formats until last year’s ODI World Cup. Though he was sacked from the post, Babar was reinstated as the T20I captain, after Shaheen held the role for a solitary series. Pakistan’s dismal showing at the T20 World Cup earlier this year prompted Babar to eventually relinquish captaincy earlier this month.
Sehwag explained that loss of the central role in the Pakistan set-up has appeared to have hurt Babar.
“With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He’s a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly,” Sehwag said.
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