(Credit X)

Former Indian cricketer Kris Srikkanth criticized Pakistan captain Babar Azam ahead of their T20 World Cup 2024 match against Ireland, suggesting that Azam should consider leaving T20 cricket due to his consistently low strike rate in the format.

Following Pakistan’s elimination from the T20 World Cup 2024, Babar Azam has faced significant scrutiny, not only for his leadership but also for his batting performance. He has been heavily criticized for his slow scoring rate in T20Is, a concern that has been highlighted repeatedly, particularly in this tournament. Azam’s tendency to take time to build his innings contrasts with the aggressive approach typically required from batters in T20 cricket, which has often hindered Pakistan’s ability to set imposing totals.

Throughout the tournament, Babar Azam has struggled to match his potential, notably scoring 44 runs off 43 balls against the United States of America and managing only 13 runs against India. His limited range of shots in T20s has further fueled discussions about his effectiveness in the format.

Babar Azam has faced increased scrutiny due to recent events. As captain in the first three tournament games, he only managed to score 91 runs at a strike rate of approximately 104. His subpar batting performance significantly contributed to the team’s struggles throughout the tournament.

Additionally, Babar Azam’s leadership as captain has come into question. There are growing demands for him to step down from his role. Under his captaincy, the team suffered notable defeats, including a surprising loss to the United States of America, considered a major upset in cricket. They also faced defeat against India before eventually securing a win against Canada, though it came too late to change their fate. This marks the third occasion they failed to advance to the next stage under his leadership.

Kris Srikkanth says “I don’t think Babar should play T20 cricket”

He said that Babar Azam shouldn’t play T20 cricket as one cannot do “tuk tuk” in the tournament. 

He drew comparisons between Babar Azam, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma but pointed out that Babar Azam has a lower strike rate. During an interview with Star Sports, he elaborated on this observation.

“I don’t think Babar should play T20 cricket. I mean you can’t do this tuk-tuking all the time in T20 cricket. They say Babar scored 4,000 runs like Virat or Rohit, but his strike rate is only 112-115 what are you talking about?”.