Former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis has strongly defended under-fire batter Babar Azam amid growing public and media criticism over his recent performances. Describing the premier batsman as one of the country's leading modern superstars, the legendary fast bowler highlighted a severe lack of adequate support around him in the national setup.
Speaking on the cricket podcast Unplugged hosted by Shubhankar Mishra, Waqar was asked to identify Pakistan's last true cricketing superstar. While the podcast host initially suggested former fast bowler Mohammad Amir as a potential candidate, the former head coach instead pointed directly toward Babar and Pakistan One Day International captain Shaheen Shah Afridi.
The discussion quickly turned toward Babar's match-winning impact compared to previous generations of Pakistani cricketers. Mishra argued that despite impressive overall statistics, the current star has not delivered as many memorable victories as past icons such as Wasim Akram, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Anwar, and Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Responding directly to those critical assessments, Waqar argued that Babar's primary challenge involves carrying the batting lineup almost entirely on his own. He stated that the absence of an equally formidable supporting cast places an unfair and disproportionate burden on the former captain during high-pressure international fixtures.
The former coach explained that when an entire team relies heavily on a single batsman for runs, the psychological pressure increases exponentially. He noted that if there were four or five other established big names alongside Babar in the batting order, the dynamics and external expectations would be vastly different.
Waqar drew historical comparisons with Pakistan's famous batting lineup of the 1990s to illustrate his point about team depth. He emphasized that supporters could easily name all six established players in the top order from that era, whereas the current team struggles to produce a similar calibre of recognised talent.
The conversation also touched upon comparisons with Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, whom Mishra suggested had carried similar burdens during the early 1990s. However, Waqar firmly disagreed with that particular assessment, arguing that Tendulkar experienced much stronger team support throughout the various evolutionary stages of his international career.
Elaborating on Tendulkar's early playing days, Waqar pointed out that the Indian star played alongside experienced contributors like Sanjay Manjrekar and Navjot Singh Sidhu. As Tendulkar developed further, India successfully assembled a powerhouse batting lineup featuring Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, and Virender Sehwag.
Waqar further analysed the root cause of the relentless scrutiny directed at Babar, pointing to the exceptionally high standards the batsman established during the very beginning of his international career. Immediate and sustained success created massive expectations among supporters and analysts, making even minor fluctuations in form appear catastrophic to observers.
To contextualize this phenomenon, the former fast bowler compared Babar's current predicament to the intense pressure constantly faced by Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli. Waqar remarked that whenever Kohli fails in just one or two matches, public sentiment immediately declares him finished, demonstrating how high-achieving athletes suffer from disproportionate reactions.
Despite the mounting external scrutiny regarding his recent form, Babar continues to boast a phenomenal overall record in international cricket. In the ODI format specifically, the right-handed batsman has accumulated 6,744 runs at an extraordinary average of 52.68, establishing himself as a pillar of consistency over several years of competition.
Furthermore, Babar has already struck 20 centuries in One Day Internationals, an achievement that places him level with legendary opening batsman Saeed Anwar for the most ODI hundreds ever scored by a Pakistani cricketer. This milestone underscores his immense historical value to the national team's batting heritage.
However, recent statistics reveal a notable lean patch that has fuelled the current wave of criticism from pundits and fans. Babar has managed to score just 243 runs across his last seven ODI appearances, translating to a modest average of 34.71 during that specific stretch of matches.
During this same recent period of struggle, the star batsman has registered only a single half-century, highlighting the dip in conversion rates that has troubled his supporters. Analysts and former players have closely monitored these figures as indicators of a broader slump in confidence across limited-overs formats.
Waqar concluded his remarks by emphasizing that responsibility for Pakistan's overall fortunes must be shared collectively rather than placed entirely upon one individual. His strong endorsement serves as a reminder of Babar's enduring importance to Pakistan cricket as the team seeks to develop greater depth and stability in upcoming international fixtures.
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