What’s Happening with Babar Azam? A Deep Dive into His Test Cricket Slump
Remember when Babar Azam was the guy? The one whose cover drive made cricket fans weak at the knees? He was Pakistan’s golden boy, a top-tier batter who seemed destined for legendary status. Well, lately, it feels like we’re watching a completely different player. The man who once commanded the pitch with grace and power is now in a slump so deep, fans and experts are starting to whisper the unthinkable: Should Azam even be in the Test XI?
His latest performance against South Africa in Rawalpindi was, to put it mildly, a heartbreaker. On a pitch flatter than a pancake—a batter’s paradise—Azam walked to the crease with Pakistan comfortably sitting at 145/2. The stage was set. This was his moment to silence the critics, to remind everyone why he’s considered one of the greats.
He started aggressively, even smashing three boundaries that gave us a glimmer of hope. “He’s back!” we thought. And then, just as quickly, he was gone. A mere 16 runs off 22 balls. It was a classic “blink and you’ll miss it” innings, ending with a stunning one-handed catch by Tony de Zorzi that left the crowd in stunned silence. It wasn’t just a dismissal; it was a symbol of his ongoing struggle.
The Cold, Hard Numbers Don’t Lie
Let’s be real, stats can be boring, but sometimes they paint a picture so vivid you can’t ignore it. When it comes to Babar Azam’s performance in home Tests since the start of 2023, the numbers are just plain ugly. He’s averaging a cringe-worthy 18.40. To put that in perspective, that’s the lowest among all specialist batters with at least 200 runs in this period. His highest score during this time? A paltry 42.
You have to rewind all the way back to December 2022 to find his last fifty on home soil, a magnificent 161 against New Zealand. That innings feels like a lifetime ago. It’s been 16 consecutive home Test innings without a half-century. Sixteen. That’s not a rough patch; that’s a full-blown crisis.
It’s Not Just a Home Turf Problem
Okay, so maybe he just doesn’t like playing in front of a home crowd? Nope, wish it were that simple. The slump has followed him on the road, too. Azam has now gone seven straight Test innings without scoring a fifty, with his last few scores reading like a binary code of disappointment: 16, 42, 23, 31, 1, 5, and 8. That brilliant 161 against the Kiwis wasn’t just his last great home performance; it was also his last Test century. Since the beginning of 2023, his overall Test average is a measly 23.96 across 28 innings. For a player of his caliber, these numbers are alarming.
It gets worse. Across all formats of international cricket, Azam has now gone a staggering 75 innings without raising his bat for a century. His last one was an ODI knock of 151 against Nepal in August 2023. While cricket fans love a good comparison, it’s hard not to think of Virat Kohli‘s infamous century drought, which lasted 83 innings. Is Azam heading down a similar, painful path? It’s a question no Pakistan fan wants to answer right now.
Despite this nightmare run, his overall Test stats still look respectable, a testament to how dominant he once was. With 4,316 runs in 61 Tests at an average of 42.31, including nine hundreds and 29 fifties, his career isn’t over. But the trend is terrifying. The player who once seemed untouchable now looks vulnerable, and the pressure is mounting with every failure. Can Babar Azam pull himself out of this hole and reclaim his throne? For the sake of Pakistan cricket, let’s hope so.
