Shoaib Malik tears apart Babar Azam for his sedate half-century in Champions Trophy 2025 opener

Star batter Babar Azam faced heavy criticism from fans after his slow-paced half-century during Pakistan’s loss against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 opener. Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik stated that Babar needs to show more intent when chasing a big total like 320 runs.

Babar Azam reached his fifty in 81 balls at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday, February 19. The right-handed batter was dismissed after scoring 64 runs off 90 deliveries, including six boundaries and one six. His innings had allowed the required run rate to climb above 10 runs per over.

Babar Azam Has to Show Intent If the Team Is Chasing 320 Runs - Shoaib Malik

After the match, Shoaib Malik criticized Babar Azam's approach in the run chase, stating that Babar should have shown more intent when chasing a big target. Malik stated that Babar should have either accelerated his scoring or allowed other batters to take charge in the chase.

"Babar Azam knows his game but he has to show intent if the team is chasing 320 runs. He has to hit or let other players come and try to chase the target down," Malik said.

Shoaib Malik said "Babar Azam knows his game but he has to show intent if the team is chasing 320 runs. He has to hit or let other players come and try to chase the target down" 🇵🇰🤯#ChampionsTrophy2025 #tapmad #DontStopStreaming #CatchEveryMatch pic.twitter.com/Og0eD7wGyz

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 19, 2025

These Players Need to Be Shown the Mirror - Shoaib Malik

Shoaib Malik recalled how the team had tough conversations after losing to India in their opening match of the 2017 Champions Trophy. The former skipper added that the current players also need a reality check to improve their game.

"These players need to be shown the mirror. We had hard talks, and we were very honest with each other when we lost to India in the first match of the 2017 Champions Trophy. These players need it too," Malik said.

Shoaib Malik said "These players need to be shown the mirror. We had hard talks, and we were very honest with each other when we lost to India in the first match of 2017 Champions Trophy. These players need it too" 🇵🇰🇮🇳💔#ChampionsTrophy2025 #tapmad #DontStopStreaming… pic.twitter.com/wzpg0km0GP

— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) February 19, 2025

Pakistan won the 2017 edition in England. The Men in Green had a rough start in that tournament. They suffered a 124-run loss (DLS method) to India in Edgbaston. However, they bounced back with a 19-run (DLS) victory over South Africa in Birmingham and a three-wicket win against Sri Lanka in Cardiff.

Pakistan defeated hosts England by eight wickets in the first semifinal at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. They outplayed India in the final at The Oval, securing a 180-run victory to claim their first-ever Champions Trophy.

Pakistan Bowled Out for 260 in Champions Trophy 2025 Opener

After being asked to bat first, New Zealand posted a challenging total of 320/5. Will Young and Tom Latham scored centuries. In response, Pakistan collapsed to 22/2 in the first 10 overs. Babar Azam adopted a cautious approach, anchoring one end but failing to accelerate and add momentum to the chase.

Following Babar's dismissal, Pakistan was struggling at 153/6. Khushdil Shah provided late fireworks with a quick 69 off 49 balls, but his efforts were in vain as Pakistan were bowled out for 260 runs in 47.2 overs. William O’Rourke and Mitchell Santner took three wickets each, while Matt Henry picked up two.

Also read: ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Najmul Hossain Shanto disrespects Shakib Al Hasan with brutal response to reporter