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Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has launched a scathing attack on Babar Azam following his disappointing performance in Pakistan’s six-wicket loss to India in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Hafeez, speaking on the show “Game On Hai,” dismissed Babar’s ‘King’ status and instead hailed Virat Kohli as the true king of cricket.
Table of content
- 1 Babar Azam Fails Again as Pakistan Crumbles Against India
- 2 Mohammad Hafeez Calls Out Babar Azam’s Poor Record in Big Matches
- 3 Comparing Babar Azam to Pakistan’s Past Match-Winners
- 4 “Babar Azam is Not Inzamam-ul-Haq” – Hafeez’s Harsh Reality Check
- 5 Pakistan on the Brink of Champions Trophy Exit
- 6 Share this:
- 7 Like this:
- 8 Related
Babar Azam Fails Again as Pakistan Crumbles Against India
Pakistan, after winning the toss in Dubai, opted to bat first but struggled to put up a challenging total. Babar Azam started well, playing his trademark cover drives and scoring 23 runs, including five boundaries. However, his innings was cut short when he edged a delivery from Hardik Pandya straight to KL Rahul behind the stumps.
Despite Saud Shakeel’s 62, Mohammad Rizwan’s 46, and Khushdil Shah’s 38, Pakistan failed to accelerate in the final overs and managed only 241 runs. Too many dot balls and a lack of intent proved costly for the hosts.
In response, Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 100 ensured a comfortable chase for India, with Shreyas Iyer (56) and Shubman Gill (46) providing solid support.
Mohammad Hafeez Calls Out Babar Azam’s Poor Record in Big Matches
After the match, Hafeez didn’t hold back his criticism of Babar Azam, questioning his performances in high-pressure encounters against India. His remarks came after Hassan Ali previously revealed that Pakistan’s dressing room refers to Babar as ‘King.’
However, Hafeez firmly dismissed this notion, stating:
“Babar Azam is not the true king. It is Virat Kohli. Look at his performances. He has dominated all over the world. Get out of your PR machinery. We need a performer. Babar Azam is a good product. You tell me one of his player-of-the-match performances against India.”
Comparing Babar Azam to Pakistan’s Past Match-Winners
Hafeez further compared Babar’s performances to legendary Pakistani cricketers who thrived in matches against India.
“Why do we always remember Shoaib Akhtar’s performances against India? Why is Younis Khan a big name when we talk about India-Pakistan matches? Shoaib Malik has delivered big performances against India.”
“Now, tell me about Babar Azam—the so-called best Pakistani product in the past 10 years. Name one good performance of his against India.”
“Babar Azam is Not Inzamam-ul-Haq” – Hafeez’s Harsh Reality Check
Hafeez took his criticism further, comparing Babar Azam’s lack of match-winning performances to Pakistan legend Inzamam-ul-Haq.
“Babar Azam is not Inzamam-ul-Haq. Inzi Bhai used to win matches for Pakistan in difficult conditions. Babar Azam has never won a single match against India to date. He has been playing for the past 10 years and has never been a Player of the Series in SENA (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia) countries.”
He emphasized the need for Pakistan to move on from non-performing stars and give opportunities to younger, more deserving players.
“We need to show them the mirror. We need to realize that those we are banking on are not performing and we should move on from them. Give the opportunity to those waiting in the system.”
Pakistan on the Brink of Champions Trophy Exit
Following their defeat to India, Pakistan’s semi-final hopes hang by a thread. India leads the group with four points and is almost certain to qualify, with their final league match against New Zealand on March 2 in Dubai.
Meanwhile, Pakistan must defeat Bangladesh on Thursday and hope for favorable results elsewhere to avoid an embarrassing early exit from their home tournament.
With growing pressure on Babar Azam, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and team management, Hafeez’s harsh words may reflect the sentiments of many frustrated fans.
