Babar Azam: Pakistan's Batting Superstar and Captaincy Controversies
Babar Azam's extraordinary batting career, his white-ball captaincy controversies and resignation in 2023, his return to form in 2024, and the complex politics surrounding Pakistan cricket's most talented modern batter.
Babar Azam is Pakistan's finest batter of the 21st century and one of the best batters in world cricket across all formats — a technically exquisite right-hander whose ability to score in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is at high averages and with aesthetic elegance drew comparisons to Virat Kohli. His leadership of Pakistan, however, proved politically turbulent: after serving as captain across all formats, he stepped down from white-ball captaincy in late 2023 following Pakistan's group-stage exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup, only to become entangled in the complex management dynamics that have defined Pakistan cricket in the modern era.
Batting Excellence Across Formats
Babar Azam's batting statistics across formats are exceptional. His Test average has consistently sat above 45, with multiple centuries against quality opposition. In ODIs, he held the top ICC ranking for extended periods, with an average above 55 and a technique equally comfortable in all conditions. His T20I average of approximately 40 at a strike rate around 130 is unusually high for a batter who bats at number three — most comparable batters either sacrifice average for strike rate or find the two in tension, while Babar maintains both. His cover drive is widely considered one of the most technically correct and aesthetically pleasing shots in contemporary cricket.
The 2023 World Cup Crisis and Resignation
Pakistan's group-stage exit from the 2023 ODI World Cup in India — where they lost to India and then failed to qualify for the semifinals — triggered a major crisis for Babar Azam's captaincy. Media and public criticism focused on his batting form in the tournament (which was below his usual standard), tactical decisions, and questions about his authority within the dressing room. The PCB, under Zaka Ashraf, conducted a review that effectively made Babar's position untenable, and he stepped down from the white-ball captaincy in November 2023. He retained the Test captaincy briefly, then relinquished that too, temporarily leaving him as a specialist batter for the first time in years. The transition was complicated by public disputes about who had been the most influential voice in team selection during his tenure — a question that reflected ongoing tensions between the captain, head coach, and PCB.
Return to Form in 2024
Freed from the captaincy burden, Babar Azam produced some of his finest batting in 2024 — large Test scores against England in the series that followed the captaincy change, and white-ball performances that re-established his ICC ranking standing. The post-captaincy Babar appeared less burdened: his shot-making was more fluent, his strike rate in T20Is improved, and he scored more consistently in difficult overseas conditions. The pattern — where removing captaincy from Pakistan's best batter seemed to unlock their batting — was one cricket observers had noted with previous Pakistan batting captains, reinforcing questions about whether Pakistan's most talented players are always best served by combining batting and captaincy responsibilities.
Frequently asked questions
Is Babar Azam a genuinely great cricket captain, or was his captaincy reputation built primarily on individual batting quality making teams around him look better?
Babar Azam's captaincy record is notably weaker than his batting record — the two 2021 and 2023 World Cup group-stage exits and the 2022 T20 World Cup semifinal exit represent a poor tournament record for a team with the individual talent Pakistan possessed during his tenure. The honest assessment is that his batting greatness was not matched by captaincy achievement. The tactical dimension: observers consistently noted that Babar's in-game tactical decisions — bowling changes, field placements, sequencing of bowling resources — were inconsistent. He showed good instincts in specific matches but was less reliable when matches were going badly and required counter-tactical thinking. Several Pakistan former players and commentators publicly questioned his tactical acumen during the 2023 World Cup. The selection and management argument: captaincy in Pakistan cricket is complicated by the involvement of the PCB, head coaches, and selection committees in what would, in other countries, be primarily captain decisions. It is genuinely difficult to separate 'Babar's captaincy decisions' from 'decisions made by the Pakistan cricket management system of which Babar was one voice.' He may have been constrained by external influences in ways that affected outcomes. The batting quality effect: when a captain bats brilliantly, teams win more often — not because of captaincy decisions but because individual batting performance drives results. Much of Pakistan's white-ball success under Babar coincided with periods when he was batting at close to his best. The exits from the 2021 and 2023 World Cups coincided with Babar below his best form — suggesting the team's results were more dependent on his batting than on his captaincy. Conclusion: genuinely great batter, uneven captain. The combination is common enough in cricket history that it should not diminish the batting achievement, but the captaincy record needs honest assessment rather than being inflated by the reflection of individual greatness.