VIDEO: Simon Duoll Slams Babar Azam Live On-Air

Babar Azam was harshly criticised by commentator Simon Doull during a PSL game despite making a century.

Rarely do you hear about players who have scored hundreds of points in a negative way. Yet after Babar Azam hit a century for Peshawar Zalmi, Simon Doull, a former New Zealand cricketer, attacked the star batsman for putting his “personal objectives” ahead of those of the team. Doull struck Babar hard during live commentary, and the footage of the incident quickly went viral on social media.

Almost 400 runs were scored in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, which was a spectacle. Babar led his team to 240/2 in 20 overs, and Quetta finished the chase with 10 balls remaining.

Babar Azam himself topped the team’s scoring statistics with a 65-ball 115 before Jason Roy performed the unfathomable and scored 145 off of 63.
Babar Azam

Stats - Jason Roy and Quetta Gladiators rewrite PSL records | ESPNcricinfo

Although Babar and Roy both put on tremendous performances with the bat, it was Babar’s decline in scoring rate around the century mark that infuriated some. When Doull, who was providing on-air commentary, observed the shift in momentum, he didn’t hesitate to criticise Babar.
With a 65-ball 115, Babar personally topped the franchise scoring statistics.

“Rather than putting the team first… the last little while, that’s all that been happening. Rather than looking for boundaries, still so much firepower to come. Hundreds are brilliant, stats are great, but it has to be team first,” Doull said during the match.”Rather than putting the team first… the last little while, that’s all that been happening. Rather than looking for boundaries, still so much firepower to come. Hundreds are brilliant, stats are great, but it has to be team first,” Doull said during the match.

By successfully surpassing Peshawar’s total, Quetta proved that Doull was correct in his estimate. The squad could have managed to put up a higher total on the board, making things challenging for the opponents, had Babar scored more runs during that period.