Pakistan batter Babar Azam's disastrous run in Test cricket continued on Sunday after he was dismissed for just 23 runs in the first innings of the opening Test match against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The former captain has now gone 34 months without a fifty on home soil, a streak that began in the 2022/23 series against New Zealand. In those 14 innings, Babar managed only 232 runs at 16.58 and has not scored more than 31.
Former Pakistan batter Salman Butt, speaking on his YouTube channel, lashed out at Babar for his continued ordinary run on home soil and bombarded him with the same question that Virat Kohli was asked amid his Test slump prior to retirement in May this year: why has he been avoiding playing domestic cricket? Butt pointed out that Babar looked rusty right from the first over that he played, contrary to the other batters, who headed into the series on the back of their performances in first-class cricket.
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“Babar does not even want to play first-class matches. That rustiness was evident. The players who played first-class came and scored runs. So why didn't Babar play? The first over that he played today, he looked so vulnerable. It seemed like he would get out any time. It's okay, he is a big player, and people love him, but you have to play domestic cricket. You can't escape that. And you are not above that,” the former Pakistan captain said.
{{/usCountry}}“Babar does not even want to play first-class matches. That rustiness was evident. The players who played first-class came and scored runs. So why didn't Babar play? The first over that he played today, he looked so vulnerable. It seemed like he would get out any time. It's okay, he is a big player, and people love him, but you have to play domestic cricket. You can't escape that. And you are not above that,” the former Pakistan captain said.
{{/usCountry}}But also pointed out that Babar had the opportunity to play in the Hanif Mohammad Trophy, a domestic, non-first-class four-day tournament, to get into the rhythm of red-ball cricket, and that the PCB would have given him special allowance for his appearance.
The veteran batter raged at Babar saying he has only himself to blame and must stop relying on social media for excuses.
"I feel he lets these opportunities slip away. The Hanif Mohammad Trophy was going on, and he could have gotten a special allowance from the PCB and played those matches. Why didn't he? Babar, with all the support he has, also has himself to blame. Are you not going to help yourself, or are you so reliant on social media?"