Hero to villain? Dubai set to play defining position in Babar Azam’s profession as soon as once more
On Sunday, February 23, senior Pakistan batter Babar Azam will as soon as once more step onto Dubai Worldwide Stadium towards India. The final time that Babar performed India at an ICC occasion in Dubai, the match made him a world icon and a hero to hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis the world over.
Within the 2021 sport, Babar scored a brisk 68* towards India, serving to Pakistan safe their first-ever win in a World Cup match towards India. Babar, the captain of the aspect, turned the apple of the attention for the nation and the cricket board. In fact, he was additionally adored by followers the world over.
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Quick ahead to 2025, Babar Azam, now faraway from the submit of captaincy, returns to the stadium as soon as once more. The situations of Babar’s return are drastically totally different. Since his win in 2021, many may argue that Babar misplaced his method in worldwide cricket. As soon as lovingly dubbed because the ‘King’, Babar has not solely didn’t fulfil the promise, however many may say that he has overstayed his welcome within the Pakistan staff.
For the reason that highs of the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups, Babar Azam’s profession has gone downhill. Though Pakistan reached the ultimate of the 2022 World Cup, Babar was criticised for his poor batting within the event. Since then, the criticism has solely compounded on Babar, below whom Pakistan crashed and burned within the 2023 and 2024 editions of the ICC occasions.
After Ramiz Raja’s departure from the Pakistan Cricket Board, Babar misplaced his impunity and, with that, his captaincy in all three codecs of the sport. They are saying that you simply both die a hero, or stay lengthy sufficient to grow to be a villain. It rings true for Babar as properly, as he merely didn’t improve himself within the quickly shifting panorama in all three codecs of the sport.
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Will This be the Finish of Babar’s Superstardom?
How dangerous is Babar’s dangerous patch? Is it as dangerous as folks make it out to be? Perhaps?
As soon as a mercurial batter, Babar Azam final scored an ODI century in 2023 – towards Nepal within the Asia Cup at house. His final century away from house got here method again in 2021 – towards England.
His data in Take a look at cricket haven’t been any higher both. The batter scored his final house and away red-ball hundred again in 2022 towards New Zealand and Sri Lanka, respectively.
The horrible patch of type noticed Babar get sacked from the Take a look at staff earlier in 2025 when England toured Pakistan for a 3-match collection. Babar misplaced his favoured batting place within the ODI staff as properly and is now getting used as a makeshift opener within the absence of Saim Ayub, a swashbuckling new-era opener.
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With the ICC event returning to Pakistan, followers thought that their beloved ‘King’ would rise as much as the event. However that proved to be removed from true. Babar performed probably the most horrendous innings seen in latest instances. Chasing 321 runs vs New Zealand within the Champions Trophy, Babar didn’t present even a little bit of intent towards off-spinners—his favoured match-ups—leading to a giant loss for Pakistan.
And that loss brings us again to the current as soon as once more — to the Dubai Worldwide Stadium — the place Pakistan is combating for his or her survival. Focus will likely be on Babar as he takes the crease on Sunday. Will he be capable of repeat his 2021 heroics towards India? Will the ‘King’, having overstayed his welcome, lastly perish by the hands of future?
An innings of mettle, particularly in a profitable trigger, will assist him revive his profession. But when he fails, this could possibly be the tip of Babar Azam’s superstardom as we all know it. However no matter occurs, we all know this for positive: the Dubai Worldwide Stadium will play a defining half in writing the pages of Babar Azam’s profession as soon as once more.
