Babar Azam Faces Heavy Expectations Amid Batting Struggles
Sohail Tanvir, a former speedster for Pakistan, has expressed his support for star batter Babar Azam, suggesting that the cricketer is under immense pressure due to the lack of another batter of his caliber in the team.
Babar Azam recently ended a long wait for a century across formats, scoring an unbeaten 102 against Sri Lanka in November 2025, marking his last international hundred. Once celebrated as one of the top batters globally and often compared to Virat Kohli, Babar has faced significant challenges with his batting in recent years.
His struggles in Test cricket have been notable, with his last century in this format dating back to December 2022, when he scored 161 against New Zealand. This leaves him without a three-figure score in Tests for over three and a half years. His vulnerabilities against fast bowlers were highlighted during Pakistan's 3-0 Test series loss in England, particularly at venues like Lord's and Edgbaston.
In a conversation with a media outlet, Tanvir compared Babar's current situation to Kohli's past struggles, noting that while Kohli had established players around him during his lean phase, Babar lacks similar support. "I feel an excessive burden of expectation has been placed on Babar. You brought up Virat Kohli—being from India, you know he also endured a difficult lean phase that lasted at least a year to a year and a half. Every world-class cricketer faces that test," Tanvir remarked.
"The crucial difference in Babar's case is the supporting cast. When Virat was going through his rough patch, he had Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and several established performers around him. In contrast, alongside Babar right now, we do not see another batter of comparable stature. Babar Azam is essentially the sole player of that elite caliber in our team," the former pacer added.
Tanvir acknowledged that while Pakistan has several talented batters, they have yet to consistently perform at the highest level, leaving Babar to shoulder much of the team's expectations. "We have other players, and they have talent, but they have not yet stamped their authority in that way. Because Babar stands alone, the entire nation's expectations land directly on his shoulders. Carrying that colossal weight—particularly when your personal form hits a rough patch—is exceptionally difficult," he explained.
Despite Babar's recent challenges, Tanvir remains optimistic about his ability to regain form, emphasizing his significance to the national team. "Babar is a high-quality cricketer, and I am confident he will bounce back. His scoring runs is critical for Pakistan. If three or four other batters around Babar step up to even a comparable level, things will become far easier for him," he concluded.
Tanvir also discussed Pakistan's difficulties in producing top-tier fast bowlers, attributing this decline to the insufficient emphasis on red-ball cricket. "I believe the lack of red-ball cricket is the foremost reason. Our players perhaps are not giving red-ball cricket the priority it demands. Speaking specifically as a bowler, if you want to become a genuine, complete fast bowler, you must bowl long spells in red-ball cricket," he stated.
Reflecting on his own career, Tanvir shared how returning to domestic red-ball cricket helped him grow as a bowler, even when he was primarily seen as a white-ball specialist. "Even in my career—whether in the latter stages or mid-career when I was labelled and deployed as a white-ball specialist—whenever I had the chance, I went back to domestic cricket and played red-ball matches. Red-ball cricket taught me how to bowl," he noted.
Having made his international debut in 2007, Tanvir remarked that the most significant improvement in his bowling came from regularly bowling long spells in first-class cricket. "Comparing when I started my international journey in 2007 to when I concluded my career, there was a day-and-night difference in my craft. Every single aspect of that craft was honed by bowling overs in red-ball cricket," he explained.
Tanvir believes that the current group of pacers in Pakistan can still reach their potential if they commit to long-format cricket. "If our pacers re-engage with red-ball cricket wholeheartedly, these very same bowlers can elevate their game. They are undeniably talented and skillful, but skipping long-format cricket is one of the decisive factors behind the dip," he concluded.