New Delhi: Pakistan batter Babar Azam is going through a tough phase and his performance with the bat has dipped in Test cricket. Babar smashed a century in December 2022 against New Zealand in Karachi but since then he has struggled to score runs in the longest format of the game.
In the ongoing Test against England in Multan, Babar only managed to score 30 and 5 runs in both innings of the match. On a surface, where batters from both sides have scored plenty of runs, Babar has once again failed to perform.
Cricket fans have accused Babar for scoring runs against small teams and call him “Zimbabar” or “Zimbu”. It seems like the nickname has become common in Pakistan’s dressing room. In a recent viral video, pacer Shaheen Afridi was seen saying ‘Zimbu” multiple times but there was no audio in the video. Cricket fans on social media speculated that even Shaheen used the word “Zimbu” to mock his teammate.
Shaheen Afridi to Babar Azam ” zimbu zimbu zimbu zimbu zimbu ” 😂😂 #shaheenafridi || #BabarAzam𓃵 || #PAKvENG || #PAKvsENG || #PakistanCricket $ZAAR pic.twitter.com/20bR0iGIff
— I’m_Jawed (@ImJawed14) October 10, 2024
Rift between Babar and Shaheen?
As per the reports, there has been a rift between Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi. The fast bowler lost his captaincy before the start of the T20 World Cup and Babar Azam was re-appointed as the team’s captain. Following Pakistan’s group-stage exit from the tournament Babar has resigned from the white-ball captaincy. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has yet to announce his replacement as captain.
Pakistan in trouble against England
After winning the toss in the Multan Test, Pakistan elected to bat first against England and scored 556 runs in the first innings. Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood and Agha Salman hit brilliant centuries.
In reply, England declared their first innings on 823 runs. Joe Root scored 262 runs off 375 balls while Harry Brook notched up 317 runs off 322 balls. Both batters stitched a record-breaking 454-run partnership. Pakistan lost 6 wickets in the second innings and is on the verge of losing another Test match at home.
Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi reportedly called Babar Azam “Zimbu” during the first Test match against England at Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
