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Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has weighed in on the growing scrutiny surrounding Babar Azam, Pakistan’s star batter and former captain. In a recent statement, Butt highlighted two main reasons why Babar is currently facing immense pressure despite being one of the best batters of the decade.
Babar Azam’s consistency becoming a double-edged sword
Butt emphasized that while Babar’s consistent performances have established him as Pakistan’s premier batter, this very consistency has led to heightened expectations.
“There are two reasons (why Babar is facing so much heat). No doubt, he is currently Pakistan’s best batter and, I think, the most consistent player of the decade,” Butt remarked as quoted by Geo Super.
However, Butt pointed out that in the past, when a key player struggled with form, others would step up to secure victories for the team. This collective effort helped ease the pressure on individual players.
“Earlier, there were 4-5 other players who used to win matches, so everyone’s respect used to be saved and it was covered. Now the problem is that Babar has scored so much, then he is the only one who scores most of the runs for Pakistan. There is no one with him who can match him,” Butt added.
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Pakistan’s over dependency on Babar
Butt’s analysis also shed light on a critical issue for the Pakistan team: its over-reliance on Babar. According to the left-handed batter , this dependency has placed the star batter under immense pressure to perform in every game.
“Now, when he is not scoring, it feels like Babar is not doing anything. Babar has made people habituated by scoring so many runs that people now want him to score lots of runs in every inning,” explained Butt.
Butt further highlighted that when Babar fails to perform, it often spells trouble for the entire team. He pointed out the lack of other match-winning players within the squad.
“You can see, the day he doesn’t run, you know that the Pakistan team will not win the match,” he noted.
Lack of player development and technical skills
The former captain also expressed concerns about the development of other players in the team. Butt criticized the current emphasis on power-hitting and aggressive play over the cultivation of sound batting techniques.
“You tried to develop everyone on the basis of power-hitting, the basis of playing openly. And now you don’t have players with the right techniques,” Butt concluded.
As Babar continues to be the cornerstone of Pakistan‘s batting lineup, Butt’s comments highlight the broader challenges the team faces in nurturing a more balanced and reliable set of match-winners.
