Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has thrown his support behind Pakistan’s Babar Azam, expressing confidence that the struggling batter will overcome his recent showings and make a strong return to the international stage.
The batting maestro also offered some advice to former Pakistani captain, believing his struggles to be more mental than technical.
Speaking on Shoaib Akhtar’s YouTube channel, Sehwag recommended that Babar take a step back and return to domestic cricket to regain his confidence.
“Babar Azam should play domestic cricket now. He should work on his fitness, spend some time with family, then come back to international cricket as a physically fitter and mentally stronger player,” Sehwag advised. “With expectations decreasing and his resignation from captaincy, it seems he’s been more impacted mentally than in terms of technique. He needs to stay mentally strong. He’s a talented player, and players like him tend to bounce back quickly.”
Babar’s recent form has been a cause for concern for the national side.
He managed only 64 runs in two Tests against Bangladesh at an average of just 16, contributing to Pakistan’s shocking series loss at home before his struggles continued in the first Test against England, where he posted scores of 30 and 5 before being dropped from the squad.
This led the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to conclude that a break was necessary to help Babar regain his form after he went 18 innings without a score of 50-plus.
With Babar Azam expected to earn a recall for the Australian series, the whole of Pakistan will be hoping that Virender Sehwag’s words come true and the former captain returns to his best with the bat in his hand.
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