New Delhi: Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha backed star batter Babar Azam amid dried runs in the ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh. The former Pakistan skipper has scored 53 runs in three innings at a dismal average of 17.67 so far.
In the ongoing second Test match in Rawalpindi, the Pakistan No.4 batter made 31 runs from 77 balls with just a couple of boundaries. He was trapped for leg-before-wicket by Bangladesh veteran spinner Shakib Al Hasan in the 54th over. This extended his wait for a 50-plus score in Test cricket to 15 innings in a row.
Babar’s last big knock came during the Karachi Test against New Zealand in December 2022. The then Pakistan captain made 161 in the first innings before witnessing a slump in his performance in the traditional format. However, Salman believes cricketers go through such phases in their careers and was hopeful for the 29-year-old to turn his fortunes around.
“Babar Azam is a world-class player. As a cricketer, you go through these phases. He has scored consistently throughout the last five years. Soon, we will see him scoring big runs for Pakistan again,” Salman said in a press conference.
“As a cricketer, you have such phases in your life. There are 10 other players in the team, so you should focus on them. It’s fine if he’s struggling. He will return to scoring big runs very soon,” he added.
How many runs Babar Azam has scored in Test cricket?
The stylish Pakistan batter has amassed 3951 runs from 97 innings at an average of 44.89 with the help of 26 fifties and nine centuries. He is the most run-scorer among active Test cricketers in Pakistan. Before his slump, Babar was among the runs for Pakistan, smashing half-centuries and centuries, and played decisive knocks even though it was to influence the result for a draw.
Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha backed star batter Babar Azam amid dried runs in the ongoing home Test series against Bangladesh. The former Pakistan skipper has scored 53 runs in three innings at a dismal average of 17.67 so far. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
