'Babar Azam Is Not A Match Winner, Can't Score A 100 Off 40 Balls...'- Basit Ali

Former Pakistan test cricketer Basit Ali has clarified the difference between a ‘match-winner’ and someone who anchors their innings. While talking about Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, Basit Ali said that he doesn’t consider Babar Azam a match-winner because he doesn’t possess the ability to change the complete course of a match in 15-20 overs and he can’t score those 40 ball hundreds.

He said, “First of all people need to learn the definition of a ‘match-winner’. A match-winner is someone who changes the course of the match in 15-20 overs, someone like Saeed Anwar. Babar Azam is not a match-winner, he is someone who builds his innings, improvises, drafts, then carries forward and plays his shots. He finishes in the end but he can’t score a hundred off 40 balls.”

Basit Ali also talked about Babar Azam’s batting position and how playing as an opener or number 3, reduces the probability of being a match-winner. He gave examples of players like Sharjeel Khan, Kamran Akmal, and Fakhar Zaman as players who are match-winners. Basit believes that Babar Azam is someone who carries the team on his shoulders.

“So this concept that is there in our country, that he is a match-winner is not true. He bats at no.3, in general openers and no.3 are not match-winners. In our domestic cricket, there is Sharjeel (Sharjeel Khan), Kamran (Kamran Akmal) and Fakhar Zaman, these are match-winners. Babar Azam carries the team on his shoulders so for him using the term ‘match-winner’ is wrong, people should know that he is someone who takes the game with him,” Basit Ali concluded.

Babar Azam Is Not Having An Auspicious World Cup With The Bat

The Pakistan skipper is not having a good World Cup with the bat. He has managed to score only 282 runs in eight innings with an average of 40.29. He has scored four half-centuries but hasn’t been able to convert them into hundreds. In fact, three of his half-centuries have come in losing causes against India, Afghanistan, and South Africa respectively.

Pakistan, under the leadership of Babar Azam, are in fifth position at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 points table. They can qualify for the Semi-Finals if they win their last game against England with a huge margin in order to match New Zealand’s NRR. However, if New Zealand lose their match against Sri Lanka and Pakistan wins against England then Pakistan will directly qualify for the World Cup semi-finals without any NRR pressure.

One of the advantages that Pakistan has is that New Zealand have to play their match before Pakistan which means that Pakistan will have the perfect equation to qualify for the semi-finals when they face England on Saturday. Pakistan will face arch-rivals India if they qualify for the semi-finals.