Babar Azam's poor form has made him a target for trolls© AFP
Amid Babar Azam’s struggles with the bat, the Pakistani star has become a constant target for trolls on social media. While the talismanic batter failed to boost his team’s morale with a poor show in the second Test against Bangladesh, a fake post about his decision to quit Test cricket went viral on social media. A number of fans shared fake farewell messages of the Pakistani cricketer, leading many to believe that the top-order batter has decided to quit the longest format of the game in reality.
Some posts also showed a fake thumbprint on Babar's retirement letter. Here's what was written in the retirement letters, as shared by fans online:
— Babar Azam (@babaarazam258) September 2, 2024
Bye bye test cricket photo.twitter.com/5v5kDKgqs6
— Babar Azam – Parody (@babarazam228) September 2, 2024
The criticism of Babar was so great that even Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie had to defend him during the press conference.
“Babar is a quality player. He's a world-class player. He's very close. I can feel it. I'm confident that we're going to see Babar score some big runs soon. He probably hasn't had the start that he's been given,” Gillespie said at the end of the press conference on Day 4.
After the ODI World Cup last year, Pakistan toured Australia for a three-match Test series. Pakistan suffered a whitewash after being outclassed in all aspects of the game. After the series, Pakistan’s batsmen were exposed for their exploits. Babar was one of the players who came under scrutiny by fans and former cricketers. During the three Tests, Babar amassed 126 runs at an average of 21.
Before the T20 World Cup, Pakistan toured England to play four T20Is. In two matches, Babar amassed 68 runs at an average of 34.00. In the T20 World Cup, Babar was again exposed after falling short with his bat. In four matches, he amassed 122 runs at an average of 40.66.
But he has been widely criticised for his below-par batting average of 101.66. In their current series against Bangladesh, in four innings, Babar has produced just 64 runs with his bat.
With ANI inputs
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