The former Indian opening batter Gautam Gambhir has criticised Babar Azam and company after their one wicket close defeat against South Africa. Pakistan chose to bat first but were dismissed for 270 in 46.4 overs. South Africa successfully chased the target in 47.2 overs, winning the game by a thrilling one-wicket margin.
After Pakistan’s loss, Gambhir strongly criticised Babar Azam, stating that the Pakistan captain hasn’t delivered any significant performances in his career and suggested that his records and rankings are inflated or overrated.
Babar Azam hasn’t played any impactful inning. Records and rankings are overrated. The real No.1 is the one who wins matches,” said Gambhir on Star Sports.
It’s worth noting that Babar scored a half-century against South Africa, making 50 runs from 65 balls. This marked his third half-century in the tournament. In the previous game against Afghanistan, he scored 74 runs from 92 balls, and in the third fixture against India, he made 50 runs from 58 balls.
In the six matches played in the tournament, the Pakistan captain has accumulated 207 runs from six innings, maintaining an average of 34.50 and a somewhat below-average strike rate of 79. Despite holding the number-one ranking in ODIs, the 29-year-old has struggled to justify his top position with his performances in the tournament so far.
