PAK vs AUS: "It Can't Rain Forever" - Mohammad Yousuf Urges Babar Azam To "Be Strong"

Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf conveyed a message of encouragement to Babar Azam amid poor performances in Australia. Mohammad Yousuf urged Babar Azam to stay resilient, emphasizing that tough times are temporary, and better days will come.

Babar Azam managed only one run from seven balls in the first innings of the Boxing Day Test against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Azam was dismissed by an unplayable delivery from Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, on Day 2 of Pakistan’s innings.

The 29-year-old is going through a poor run of form, marked by a string of low scores in the ongoing three-match Test series. He managed only 21 and 14 runs in his two innings during the series opener in Perth, where the visiting team suffered a crushing 360-run defeat.

It Might Be Stormy Now – Mohammad Yousuf On Babar Azam

Babar Azam, under the scrutiny of fans and cricket enthusiasts globally, receives a message of support from Mohammad Yousuf on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

“Be strong now because things will get better, it might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever,” Yousuf wrote.

Babar struggled to leave a mark with the bat in the Asia Cup 2023, managing only a notable 151-run innings against Nepal. In the remaining three innings, he scored 46 runs at a disappointing strike rate of 56.79. They fell short of reaching the final in the tournament.

During the ICC Cricket World Cup, Babar managed to score 320 runs in nine matches at an average of 40.00, including four half-centuries, at a strike rate of 82.90. Pakistan fell short of reaching the semifinals, ending their campaign in fifth place in the points table.

Pat Cummins Is An Incredible Bowler – Michael Vaughan

Michael Vaughan commended Pat Cummins for delivering an exceptional ball that dismissed Babar Azam in the second Test. Vaughan highlighted Cummins’ consistent performance and reputation for delivering high-quality displays on a regular basis.

“He’s an incredible bowler. There have been many bowlers who have had the skill and the expertise to bowl well, but he seems to just know the moment,” Vaughan said.

“He knows the moment that his team desperately needs him to get the breakthrough (and he) clearly likes to target quality players. He has certainly got the wool over Babar Azam’s eyes at the moment. It’s no secret that the captain of Australia generally targets the best players,” he added.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in Australia bowl a bad spell. I’m probably wrong, but I don’t remember him bowling bad balls. You have to work so hard to score your runs off him. You have to basically hit good balls for runs and that’s why he is such a threat.”

Pakistan were bowled out for 264 runs on Day 3, with Abdullah Shafique top-scoring with 62 runs off 109 balls. The Pakistan bowlers secured six wickets for 187 runs by stumps on Day 3. Mitchell Marsh fell short of his century, being dismissed by Mir Hamza for 96 runs.

Also read: PAK vs AUS: “Babar Azam Needs To Be Seated And Encouraged Because…” – Ramiz Raja