'He should have scored at least 300-400 runs' - Shoaib Akhtar reveals the reason behind Babar Azam's failure in Zimbabwe Test series

Ex-Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has given his theory regarding Babar Azam’s lean run during the Test series against Zimbabwe. On Friday, Pakistan won the toss and Azam elected to bat first. Following up on his golden duck in the first Test against Zimbabwe in Harare, Azam made just two runs from eight balls before getting out against Blessing Muzarabani. 

Since taking over as the Test captain of Pakistan, Babar’s form has not been up to the mark in the longest format. Despite having a considerable rise in the form in the white-ball game, in Tests, Babar’s form has slipped. In four matches so far as the captain, Azam has made 124 runs from six innings at 20.66, with one fifty. 

While summing up Pakistan’s first day’s play against Zimbabwe in the second Test, Akhtar said the worrying factor for this team is their captain’s form. However, he reasoned that the top-order’s good performance meant Babar sat for a long time waiting for his opportunity to go out and bat at no. 4, which could have been a tiring process. The former pacer said that situation feels like a quarantine within a quarantine. 

We expect a lot from him, so we should try to stay positive: Shoaib Akhtar on Babar Azam’s form

“Worrying point is again Babar Azam because he is not scoring runs. Against this (Zimbabwe) team, he had to wait for his turn because first opener and then Azhar Ali played long innings. Babar has to wear his pads and be ready during that time, which is the best and worst part of Test cricket. You have to sit and watch with concentration. and you can’t talk much as well. So, basically, you are in quarantine within a quarantine,” Akhtar said on PTV Sports.

Akhtar said that the Pakistan captain should have scored a lot of runs in this Zimbabwe series. He also said that Babar might not be feeling at his best. “Babar should have scored at least 300-400 runs during this series, Sometimes it happens that you can’t score runs, but I’m sure Babar is trying his best. We expect a lot from him, so we should try to stay positive,” said Akhtar.

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