Babar Azam "Won't Be Considered In T20Is, ODIs": Shoaib Akhtar's Blunt Reality Check

Star Pakistan batter Babar Azam is yet to find his lost rhythm back and former skipper Shoaib Akhtar has now given him a final ultimatum. Despite being the top ranked ODI batter in the world, Babar is time and again failing to register a big knock. After a poor show in the first Test against, Babar was dropped from the squad for the rest of the two games and Pakistan clinched the three-match series 2-1. Later, the 30-year-old batter played in the white-ball series against Australia but returned with only 47 runs in three T20Is and 80 runs in as many ODIs.

As Pakistan now have a new white-ball coach, Aqib Javed, Akhtar stated that Babar needs to prove himself again in order to protect his place in the team.

"He is our star player. I back him, but the thing is with the new management, new mindset, he has to change his neurological wiring because the new management will not consider him in T20s, as a matter of fact, even for the ODIs," said Akhtar during an interaction on a Pakistani TV channel. 

“Babar Azam will not be considered in Pakistan white-ball team. He needs to score 3 match winning hundreds in Champions trophy to prove himself in the fornat.”

Shoaib Akhtar on Babar Azam's future

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The former paceman also stated that Babar needs to hit at least match-winning centuries for Pakistan in the upcoming Champions Trophy, which is scheduled to take place in February 2025.

"Otherwise the Champions Trophy is the time and the place where Babar needs to be on the forefront for Pakistan. He should dominate the tournament and needs to score three match-winning hundreds in the Champions Trophy to prove himself in the format. Otherwise, the path will be very difficult," he said.

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