Overview

• Ahmed Shehzad argued that campaigns comparing Babar Azam to Virat Kohli were unfair and contributed to the batter’s mounting pressure and dip in form.
• Babar has gone 72 international innings without a century since his last hundred against Nepal in August 2023 and has struggled with a sub-80 strike rate since 2024.
• Pakistan lost the ODI series in the West Indies 2-1, suffering a 202-run defeat in the third match after being bowled out for just 92.
• Babar relinquished white-ball captaincy after the 2024 T20 World Cup and has been dropped from the T20I side, with his place in the ODI lineup now under intense scrutiny.
• Pakistan’s selection decisions for the Asia Cup 2025 are expected to weigh recent form alongside the effects of media-driven expectations on Babar’s performance.