Shoaib Akhtar asks Virender Sehwag, “What wrong is Babar Azam doing?”

Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been undergoing a tremendous slump in form, and for the same reason, he was kicked out of the side for the 2nd PAK vs ENG Test in Multan. Such has been his returns in Tests, that he hasn’t been able to score a fifty in 18 innings now. Plus, his white-ball form hasn’t been the best either.

Now, former India opener Virender Sehwag has offered some tips to the Pakistani great. Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar‘s Youtube channel, Sehwag said that Babar Azam’s struggles are from mental hurdles. The Indian also went on to say, that the latter should focus on domestic cricket now.

Shoaib Akhtar’s Query on Babar Azam

“Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, he should spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player.”

“With expectations from Babar decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he has been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He’s a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly,” he said.

In fact, he could be omitted from the upcoming Zimbabwe limited-overs series as well, so that he could focus on the important Australia series lined up ahead. Not just that, Mohammad Rizwan seems all set to take over as Pakistan’s white-ball skipper, after ordinary results came under Babar, and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Looking Ahead at Champions Trophy 2025

Pakistan are scheduled to play 14 ODIs before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. That’s a significant number, and despite missing three ODIs against Zimbabwe, both Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi should have enough practice for Pakistan’s first ICC tournament at home in 28 years.