LAHORE Lahore: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has made it clear that he has no intention of walking away from any format of the game, insisting that it is not the player’s job to decide what to leave out, but to be ready to play whenever needed. Babar, who has been a key player for Pakistan across all formats over the years, has gone through a poor run of form recently, struggling to score runs consistently. His form also dipped during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year, where he was unable to make much of an impact with the bat. However, the 31-year-old found form again in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), leading Peshawar Zalmi to the title. He was the top scorer of the tournament, scoring a record-equalling 588 runs in 11 matches, including two centuries.
Speaking after the PSL win, Babar reiterated his commitment to all formats of the game. “My focus is on all three formats. It is not the player’s decision (which format to leave); the player’s job is to play. In my opinion, every player should play every format of cricket. You should not just focus on white-ball or T20s. Red-ball cricket gives you a lot of experience. It teaches you how to build innings and gives you patience,” he said.
He further added, “When you play four-day cricket or any domestic circuit, you get the experience of scoring ‘long’ runs. You should play all three formats because each one helps the other. Red ball helps you in T20s and ODIs. When you play Test matches, the patience and mindset you build, the art of playing long innings—gives you a huge advantage in white-ball cricket.” Babar is expected to continue his performance in the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh starting on Friday. His recent record in Test cricket has not been anything special, his last century in this format came in December 2022.
His struggles in white-ball cricket before the PSL were also evident, with him scoring just one half-century this year, which came in a T20I against Australia in early February ahead of the T20 World Cup. Talking about his poor form, Babar acknowledged that such periods are part of a batsman’s journey and stressed the importance of self-assessment and support system. “I didn’t live up to my own expectations, but it’s normal for a batsman to struggle with his execution. You have to take a few steps back and see where you’re going wrong and fix it. Those are the times when you need support, and my family and close friends motivated me. “I discussed the areas of improvement with my close coaches and worked on them. Life is like a rollercoaster, and things never stay the same. You learn from your good and bad experiences. This is how life works,” he added.
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