Pakistan captain Babar Azam has been on an incredible run-charting spree this year. In 2022, Babar Azam has scored 1315 international runs – the second-highest after Bangladesh’s Liton Das who has scored 1396 but has played 14 more innings than Babar – in only 18 innings at an astronomical average of 77 – much better than Liton’s 46.
Babar has struck 5 centuries and 9 fifties in his 18 international innings this year. The right-hander is ruling the ICC rankings: he is the number 1 ODI and T20I batsman and third on the Test ranking.
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As great and loved as he is among Pakistani fans for his batsmanship, even Babar, Pakistan’s Prince, couldn’t avoid the trolling from his countrymen on social media.
On the current tour of the Netherlands, Babar posted a few photos of himself enjoying his time in the beautful, sparkling country.
“Your persona makes the way,” Babar captioned his post.
Your persona makes the way
pic.twitter.com/LKij6mJnIo
— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) August 17, 2022
While there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with these images, some notorious fans reckoned Babar has put on some weight, and made concerns around the fitness of the Pakistani skipper.
“Bhai pait bahir aarha ha iss ka kuch karo.. Rohit sharma na ban jana,” one Pakistani fan commented.
Bhai pait bahir aarha ha iss ka kuch karo.. Rohit sharma na ban jana..
— Aman Ullah
(@AmanUll06574597) “Motapa” another fan trolled.
He is thinking i m looking , dude it’s motapa dudes
— Nazma Khan
(@khnazma77) Someone expressed grave concern about Babar’s fitness as the right-hander is an “asset” to the country.
@babarazam258 maintain your fitness sir. It’s really concerning. You are the asset of Pakistan
— Huda (@Huda20531227) August 17, 2022
.Work more on fitness if you want to play till 36-37 mate
— Nikhil Rajput (@wtf_nikkk) August 17, 2022
Bhai fitness pr focus krain Baki ap favourite Hain love u king…
— Faiz Ur Rehman Ali Khan (@FaizUrRehmanAl1) August 17, 2022
“He thinks, he’s Virat Kohli,” a fan trolled Babar.
He thinks, he’s Virat Kohli
— SaNJana Thakur
(@SanjanaVK_18) Pakistan won the ODI series against the Netherlands, taking a 2-0 unassailable lead on Thursday. Left-arm orthodox Mohammad Nawaz was awarded the Player of the Match for taking three wickets while fifties from Babar and Rizwan made the chase of 187 comfortable, winning the game by 7 wickets. They had won the first ODI by 16 runs after opener Fakhar Zaman’s century.
Babar Azam spoke on Asia Cup encounter vs India
Pakistan’s major challenge this month will be the Asia Cup in the UAE, where they will kick off their campaign against India on August 28.
Last week, the Pakistani captain Babar Azam had played down the question of the immense pressure while playing arch-rivals India.
“Dekhe pressure kuch nahi hai. Koshish yahi hoti hai ki match ko match k tarha hi khele. (We’ll try to approach it like any other match),” Babar Azam said when a journalist asked if Pakistan could make it 3-0 over India in the Asia Cup 2022 – such is the format of the tournament that the two teams could meet thrice, including the final, in the Asia Cup 2022.
“Yes, there will be different pressure, but as we tried in the last World Cup (not to let it affect us), we’ll try to focus on our game and believe in our abilities. This time as well, our focus will be to give our best. Putting our best effort is in our hands, but results are not. If we give our best, then more often than not, results will also come,” he said.
