Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam hasn’t been in the form that made him one of the hottest properties in the world of cricketers. The right-handed batsman seems frustrated with his lack of runs, which turned into anger on Wednesday (February 13th). He was seen bashing the media for giving him the title of ‘King.’
The right-handed batsman once again had an ideal start in his match against South Africa in the tri-series but fell cheaply on 23. That was just a small part of a memorable chase from the Greens as they smashed their highest run chase to beat South Africa. Pakistan is now set to play the final of the tri-series, which was scheduled against New Zealand and South Africa.
Babar Azam has a reputation as one of Pakistan’s most celebrated cricketers. Because of his consistency, he has earned the nickname ‘King’ from fans and current cricketers. Famously, Hassan Ali phrased him as ‘King’ in one of his podcasts, and Mohammad Rizwan echoed it later. However, Azam wants to end all of these tags.
“Please stop calling me King Shing. I am not King, I am not there yet.”
Babar Azam said in an interview to local media
The term ‘King’ was previously given to India’s former captain, Virat Kohli. Like Azam today, Kohli acknowledged the media and fans need to stop portraying him with those words. Both players have created a sense of attraction in their countries and worldwide.
Babar Azam was well received by the fans during the debut of their Champions Trophy kit a day before the South Africa match. However, despite the support, the star batter simply hasn’t got going despite the change of his role. Azam usually plays as no.3 in ODIs but has started to play as an opener after the injury to Saim Ayub.
It must be noted that Azam was also deployed as an opener during the South African test series away from home two months ago. This happened during the match in which Ayub got injured. The match was extremely fruitful for the former Pakistan captain as he scored 81 in an ideal opening partnership with Shan Masood. Moreover, he opens with Muhammad Rizwan and Ayub in the T20is.
However, Azam’s struggle continues in the longer formats. It has been over 18 months since he last scored an ODI ton, the last one coming against Nepal in the opening match of the 2023 Asia Cup. As a result, he is set to relinquish his top spot in the ODI rankings to Shubman Gill, who scored a match-winning ton vs England to secure the series against England.
Babar Azam’s stance towards the media shows that he understands that he isn’t the finished article. Although he has scored 31 centuries in his international career, he wants to pursue more records and win more matches for Pakistan. There is no better chance to do it in front of his adoring fans during the tri-series final against New Zealand. It will prove to be the kicker for the upcoming Champions Trophy. For more fearless sports coverage, visit Stadium Rant.
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