Pakistan captain Babar Azam has once again found himself under the spotlight after Pakistan suffered another heavy defeat against England in the ongoing Test series. His return to the playing XI at Lord’s had raised hopes of a stronger batting performance, but the veteran batter endured another difficult outing.
With Pakistan now staring at a possible series whitewash, the scrutiny surrounding Babar has intensified. Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali was particularly critical of the captain, questioning his performances when the team needs its most experienced batters to step up.
Basit Ali questions Babar Azam’s performances
Babar returned to the Pakistan side for the second Test after recovering from a finger injury, but his comeback did not go according to plan. He scored only 8 runs in the first innings and followed it up with 6 in the second as Pakistan were beaten by 194 runs at Lord’s. Speaking on the YouTube show The Game Plan, Basit Ali questioned whether Babar has done enough during difficult situations and pointed towards his long wait for a Test century.
“When you don’t do anything in difficult times, what’s the point? You’re a great player in your fan following. You’re a great player in front of social media. He hasn’t scored a (Test) hundred in four years. When will you do it? It’s a matter of pain. When the entire country’s batting depends on you,” Basit said.
He went on to directly question Babar over his prolonged century drought, highlighting the responsibility placed on the Pakistan captain with the team’s batting struggling. Babar’s last Test hundred came against New Zealand in Karachi in December 2022. Since then, he has struggled to convert his starts into substantial scores in the longest format, increasing the pressure on him to produce a major innings.
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Pakistan’s batting crisis adds to Babar’s pressure
Pakistan’s batting has been a major concern throughout the series, with the team yet to cross the 200-run mark in any innings. At Lord’s, they were dismissed for 110 in their first innings before being bowled out for 194 while chasing 389. Saud Shakeel provided the biggest resistance in the second innings with a fighting 97, but Pakistan lacked the collective batting effort required to stay in the contest. Babar’s failure was particularly costly given the expectations surrounding his return.
His combined score of 14 runs from the two innings was his lowest match aggregate when batting twice since January 2025. With Pakistan already 0-2 down in the three-match series, Babar will now have another opportunity to respond when the teams meet in Birmingham for the final Test. The third Test begins on September 9, with Pakistan facing the prospect of a 3-0 whitewash. For Babar, it will be another chance to answer his critics and show that he can lead the batting charge when his team needs him most.
