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Teammate defends Babar Azam amid lean patch
One of the most promising talents in Pakistan cricket Babar Azam has recently found himself in a rough patch with the bat, repeatedly failing to come up with impressive innings. Babar’s remarkable consistency has been hailed over the years, but in recent times star batter has failed to hit his straps and the slump in his form has come as a surprise to many.
His recent performances in the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh have seen him struggle to convert starts into significant scores. Babar has also been receiving plenty of criticism amid his deteriorating form. In the first innings of ongoing second Test against Bangladesh, Babar could only get 31 off 72 as he was removed by Shakib Al Hasan. Despite Babar’s poor form, Pakistan all-rounder Salman Ali Agha has defended him. Babar’s highest score in Test came in December 2022 when he charged 161 against New Zealand in a Test.
"Babar Azam is a world-class player. As a cricketer, you go through these phases. He has scored consistently throughout the last five years. Soon, we will see him scoring big runs for Pakistan again. As a cricketer, you have such phases in your life. There are 10 other players in the team, so you should focus on them. It's fine if he's struggling. He will return to scoring big runs very soon," Agha said during the press conference.
Pakistan are hoping to avoid series defeat after Bangladesh stunned them in the first game, winning it by 10 wickets. Bangladesh’s victory over Pakistan in the first Test was their maiden in the longest format. The ongoing second Test match is a must-win battle for Pakistan to resist series defeat.
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