Former Pakistan batter Umar Akmal, who hasn’t been in the team’s good books lately, recently shared how he helped Babar Azam deal with his struggles against spin bowlers. Babar has faced a lot of criticism for not scoring enough runs lately, including during the recent Champions Trophy held in Pakistan and the UAE, specifically in the matches against India. Once a strong performer against spinners with an average over 80, Babar’s numbers have dropped to 48 lately.
In an interview with GTV Sports, Umar, who is also Babar’s cousin, talked about a time when Babar reached out for advice. He recalled, “Babar came to me and said, ‘Umar bhai, I’m having a bit of trouble.’ I suggested he work on his grip and keep his eyes on the ball for as long as he can before deciding whether to cut it or play a different shot.”
Umar didn’t hold back in his criticism of Babar’s leadership as captain, claiming Babar didn’t do enough to develop newer talent during his nearly five-year run. He said, “Babar was captain in all formats for almost five years but didn’t really try to build a strong backup team because of personal preferences.”
At one point when Umar was scoring well in domestic cricket, he approached Babar for a chance to return to the national squad. “I told him to give me a fair chance. I could play as a finisher while he was doing well at the top, and together we could win matches for Pakistan,” he shared. Unfortunately, he felt his request was ignored. “He didn’t listen, and for five years, he didn’t focus on strengthening the team, Umar added.
