Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has taken a sharp dig at Babar Azam’s recent performances, urging the star batter to refine his technique and learn from West Indies’ spinner Gudakesh Motie.
His comments came in the wake of Pakistan’s 120-run defeat to the visitors in the second Test in Multan, a loss that allowed the West Indies to level the two-match series 1-1 and further exposed Pakistan’s vulnerabilities in all departments.
Basit, known for his outspoken views, was particularly critical of Babar Azam’s inability to convert starts into big scores, drawing an unflattering comparison to West Indies’ No. 9 batter and spinner, Gudakesh Motie, who impressed with both bat and ball.
“Babar Should Learn from Motie”
Babar Azam endured a forgettable outing in Multan, scoring just one run off five balls in the first innings before managing a modest 31 off 67 deliveries in the second. His failure to anchor Pakistan’s innings came under scrutiny, especially in contrast to Gudakesh Motie, who displayed remarkable resilience under pressure.
Motie’s gritty 55-run knock off 87 balls in the first innings proved invaluable for the visitors, providing crucial lower-order resistance. Praising Motie’s shot selection and composure, Basit Ali suggested that Babar Azam could take a lesson from the West Indies spinner.
“Babar Azam needs to learn batting from Motie—how to go forward to the ball that is in front and back to the ball that is short. Being a big player does not mean you stop learning. The learning process should never end, and in this Test, Motie batted the best,” Basit remarked on his YouTube channel.
Basit’s remarks, while pointed and harsh, carry some merit. Babar, a seasoned batter, finished the two-match series with just 45 runs at an average of 11.25. In contrast, Motie, a lower-order player, scored 140 runs at an average of 23, significantly outshining Pakistan’s star batter in the series.
Beyond Babar Azam’s struggles, Basit Ali lambasted the entire Pakistan squad, questioning how they were outplayed by what he described as a West Indies “B” or “C” team, comprising lesser-known names like Mikyle Louis, Amir Jangoo, and Kavem Hodge.
“This West Indies team—filled with unknown batters and bowlers—defeated Pakistan by 120 runs. Winning and losing is part of the game, but this requires introspection. I won’t do a post-mortem analysis because people say we do it for views. Let them think what they want,” Basit stated.
