Ramiz Raja reveals Babar Azam's emotional struggles amid poor form
What's the story
Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja has praised Babar Azam for his patience and composure amid years of harsh criticism. The star batter recently ended a long wait for a century, scoring a much-needed hundred against Sri Lanka in an ODI series in Rawalpindi. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ramiz shared that Babar had privately opened up about the emotional toll of constant criticism.
Emotional toll
Babar's frustration with criticism and personal comments
Ramiz revealed that Babar expressed his frustration over the constant criticism. "I met him recently in a cafe and he expressed his frustration at the way he had to face criticism, personal comments over his place in the team," Ramiz said on his YouTube channel. The former PCB chairman had appointed Babar as captain across formats in 2021. He advised the batter to remain patient, show restraint, and not react to outside noises but focus on performing on-field.
Performance praise
Ramiz's relief at Babar's return to form
Ramiz expressed his happiness at seeing Babar return to form with a century against Sri Lanka in the second ODI. He praised the stylish right-hander for his dignified silence in the face of sustained criticism. "He has all the shots and he is a treat to watch even when he defends. He shouldn't be worried about strike rates; he just needs to bat longer."
DYK
Babar ends his century droughtÂ
The innings was Babar's first international hundred since he scored a ton against Nepal in August 2023 in Multan. During this 807-day period, the former Pakistan skipper played 83 innings across all three formats of international cricket. This long wait was similar to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli's own century drought between his 70th and 71st international tons from 2019 to 2022.