PAK vs AUS: "This Will Be Babar Azam's Year" - Saeed Anwar's Massive Prediction For Batter

Former Pakistan batsman Saeed Anwar has thrown his support behind under-fire Babar Azam who has struggled to do well with the bat in recent months.

2023 was a forgettable year for Babar Azam as he struggled with his form and also stepped down as the captain in all three formats. He faced severe criticism for failing to lead his team from the front in the Asia Cup and the World Cup. In the Asia Cup, Pakistan finished at the fourth spot while in the World Cup, they finished at the fifth spot.

During both competitions, Babar Azam faced criticism not only for his batting but also for his captaincy. His poor form with the bat in the ongoing Test series against Australia has only made things worse for him. While the Pakistan cricket fraternity was expecting its star batsman to do well after resigning as the captain, he has failed to do well so far.

Saeed Anwar backs Babar Azam to bounce back:

In the first Test against Australia in Perth, Babar Azam registered scores of 21 and 14 as Pakistan suffered a crushing 360-run defeat. In the second Test in Melbourne, he scored 1 and 41 as Australia won the game by 79 runs to clinch the three-match series with a match to go.

The failure in Melbourne means Babar Azam finished 2023 without a half-century in Tests. He became the first top-six batter from Pakistan to end a calendar year without a fifty, having batted eight or more Test innings since Basit Ali achieved the unwanted record way back in 1995. Babar Azam’s top Test score in 2023 was 41. Overall, he scored 204 runs in 5 Tests in 2023 at an average of less than 23.

The right-handed batsman would be looking to make a fresh start in 2024 when Pakistan take on Australia in the third and final Test of the ongoing series. And while only time will tell how 2024 pans out for the Pakistan star, Saeed Anwar is confident of a good show from the batsman.

On Monday (January 1), Saeed Anwar took to X to react to a video of Babar Azam batting in the nets and wrote: “Looks in good touch, and what a sound offer ball hits the bat. InshahAllah this will be his year. “

Looks in good touch, and what a sound offer ball hits the bat.
InshahAllah this will be his year. #BabarAzam? https://t.co/GNh13GFUtW

— Saeed Anwar (@ImSaeedAnwar) January 1, 2024