Ramiz Raja has claimed that Babar Azam needs to be encouraged as there is a tendency for motivation to drop after relinquishing the captaincy.
Babar faced a challenging start to his post-captaincy era during the first Test against Australia in Perth. Despite his previous successes and a strong record against Australia, Babar struggled at the crease, scoring only 21 and 14 runs in the first and second innings, respectively.
His dismissal on Day 4 by Australian skipper Pat Cummins marked his seventh consecutive innings without a fifty, highlighting a significant dip in form. In 2023, Babar failed to score a Test century or even a fifty, averaging a mere 23.14 across seven matches.
This slump extended to the ODI World Cup earlier in the year, where he couldn’t step up at crucial moments, leading to Pakistan’s early exit and his eventual resignation as captain. The Perth Test was Babar’s 50th, but it ended in disappointment as Pakistan succumbed to a massive 360-run defeat, continuing their losing streak in Australia since 1995.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former PCB chairman first addressed new captain Shan Masood and said that he would need to work hard and make a statement with the bat to establish himself as a leader in the dressing room.
“Shan Masood needs hard work as a captain, as a leader, because this is going to be tough series for him. Until he gives a statement with his bat, he won’t be able to establish himself in the dressing room or on the opposition,” said Raja.
In case of Babar, Raja said that the star batter needs to be seated and encouraged more after his poor start to the Australia series.
“Babar Azam needs to be seated and encouraged because when captaincy is taken away from you, you tend to go low [on motivation],” said Raja.
Raja also said that Shaheen Shah Afridi needs to come out as a lethal bowler and become the leader of the pack.
“Shaheen Afridi needs to come out as a lethal bowler. It’s not that he plays as a filler. Conditions in Australia are much better. If you can’t create magic, especially in Perth, then your established impression in this circuit gets hurt. He needs to become the leader of the pack,” said Raja.