"Babar Azam Must Prove He Can Be Like Viv Richards": Ramiz Raja's Challenge After Test Snub
The PCB Chairman urged Babar to showcase his temperament and assert himself as a player of the caliber of cricketing legend Viv Richards. “Now he has to prove to the world with his temperament that he is Viv Richards. Bigger the contest, bigger the innings Richards used to play,” he stated.
Ramiz Raja, former cricketer and current Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman, has set a high benchmark for star batter Babar Azam, urging him to elevate his performance in Test cricket. Following Babar's exclusion from the last two Tests against England, where Pakistan emerged victorious, Raja emphasized that Babar must demonstrate his potential in the longest format of the game.
Despite accumulating 3,997 runs at an average of 43.92 over 55 Tests, Babar has struggled recently, failing to reach a half-century since 2022. This dip in form coincides with his tenure as captain, which ended after Pakistan's disappointing group-stage exit from the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Raja highlighted the contrast between Babar's proficiency in white-ball cricket and his struggles in Tests. “I feel Babar has to achieve a lot more in Test cricket. He plays the white-ball format really well, boasting an average over 50 in both T20Is and ODIs. There is so much potential in Babar Azam,” Raja remarked on his YouTube channel.
The PCB Chairman urged Babar to showcase his temperament and assert himself as a player of the caliber of cricketing legend Viv Richards. “Now he has to prove to the world with his temperament that he is Viv Richards. Bigger the contest, bigger the innings Richards used to play,” he stated.
Looking ahead, Babar will have an opportunity to strengthen his Test credentials during the upcoming white-ball series against Australia, where he has been named in both the ODI and T20I squads. This series will mark Pakistan's first ODI action since their fifth-place finish in the recent World Cup, a campaign under Babar’s captaincy that saw them fail to qualify for the semifinals.
Babar's recent accolades include being named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022, and he currently holds the top position in the ICC ODI batters rankings. His performances in the upcoming matches will be crucial as Pakistan prepares for their tours of South Africa and the West Indies, where they will play a combined five Test matches.
