Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf conveyed a message of encouragement to Babar Azam amid poor performances in Australia. Mohammad Yousuf urged Babar Azam to remain resilient and emphasized that difficult times are temporary and better days will come.
Babar Azam managed just one run off seven balls in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Azam was dismissed by an unplayable delivery from Australia captain Pat Cummins on Day 2 of Pakistan’s innings.
The 29-year-old is going through a rough patch, marked by a series of low scores in the ongoing three-match Test series. He managed only 21 and 14 runs in his two innings during the series opener in Perth, where the visiting team suffered a crushing 360-run defeat.
There could be a storm now – Mohammad Yousuf on Babar Azam
Babar Azam, under the scrutiny of cricket fans and enthusiasts around the world, receives a message of support from Mohammad Yousuf on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Be strong now because things will get better; there may be a storm now, but it can’t rain forever,” Yousuf wrote.
Babar struggled to make a mark with the bat in the Asia Cup 2023, making just a notable 151 innings against Nepal. In the remaining three innings, he scored 46 runs at a disappointing strike rate of 56.79. They did not reach the final of the tournament.
During the ICC Cricket World Cup, Babar managed to score 320 runs in nine matches at an average of 40.00, including four half-centuries, at a strike rate of 82.90. Pakistan failed to reach the semi-finals and ended their campaign in fifth place in the points table.
Pat Cummins is an incredible bowler – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan praised Pat Cummins for bowling an exceptional ball that dismissed Babar Azam in the second Test. Vaughan highlighted Cummins’ consistent performance and reputation for consistently delivering high-quality displays.
“He is an incredible bowler. There have been a lot of bowlers who have had the skill and experience to bowl well, but he seems to know the moment,” Vaughan said.
“He knows the moment when his team desperately needs him to make a breakthrough (and he) clearly likes to target quality players. He certainly has Babar Azam wooed right now. It is no secret that the Australian captain usually targets the best players,” he added.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bowling in a bad spell in Australia. I’m probably wrong, but I don’t remember him throwing bad balls. You have to work very hard to score your runs. You basically have to hit good balls to run and that’s why he’s such a big threat.”
Pakistan were bowled out for 264 runs on Day 3, with Abdullah Shafique top-scoring with 62 runs off 109 balls. Pakistan’s bowlers secured six wickets for 187 runs off stumps on Day 3. Mitchell Marsh fell short of his century and was dismissed by Mir Hamza for 96 runs.
Also Read: PAK vs AUS: “Babar Azam needs to sit up and cheer because…” – Ramiz Raja
