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Shoaib Akhtar has warned Babar Azam that his position in Pakistan’s white-ball team could be at risk if he does not deliver in CT 2025.
Babar Azam has seen a dip in form since 2023. (AP Photo)
The legendary Pakistan pacer, Shoaib Akhtar has called on Babar Azam to prove himself for the national team in the upcoming Champions Trophy or risk being ousted from the limited-overs team.
The 30-year-old batter has been out of touch since 2023, resulting in the player’s place in the side being questioned. The Champions Trophy 2025 will be a tournament where Pakistan will have much to prove with the nation being asked to hand over the hosting duties to another nation. Akhtar believes that he should make some ‘neurological changes,’ with new management coming into the fray.
“He’s our star, I’ll back him up. But the thing is, with the new management, with a new mindset, he has to create a change in ‘neurological wiring’ that the new management might not consider him in T20Is and even ODIs,” Akhtar was seen speaking at a talk show.
Akhtar believes that the ace batter would have to be Pakistan’s go-to man for the big runs in the upcoming tournament. The former Pakistan pacer suggested that he should be in good form where he can dominate the bowlers to prove that he deserves a spot in the side. He even suggested that should Babar not deliver, it could push the selectors to drop him from the side.
“The Champions Trophy is the time and place where Babar needs to be at the forefront for me and Pakistan. He needs to dominate and score three centuries in the Champions Trophy that too in a match-winning cause. If he does that then definetly he can come back. But if not, then the path is going to be very difficult,” Akhtar commented.
Since Babar’s decline in form, he has been resigned from the role of captain twice with many expecting that he would return to form without the burden of leadership on his back. But that has not been the case.
When it comes to Pakistan, the side has also been far from their best in recent years as they failed to qualify for the knockout stages in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup, both played under Babar’s captaincy.
