Babar Azam bore the brunt after Pakistan’s 60-run loss against New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025. After Pakistan bowlers conceded 320/5 in 50 overs, the onus was on the likes of Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam to lead the tough chase. Instead Pakistan lost the momentum right at the start as they scored just 22/2 in the first 10 overs. Babar Azam was particularly slow scoring 12* (27b) in that duration. In 15 overs, Pakistan reached 49/2 with Babar on 22* (37b) and in 20 overs, they scored just 66/2. The run-scoring pace only picked up when Salman Agha came to the crease.

Babar Azam’s performance was criticised by former Pakistan player Basit Ali.

“81 ball pe 50 kara hai Babar ne… total 90 balls mey 64 (Babar Azam has completed his half-century in 81 balls and has managed 64 balls in 90 balls) Kya wo sirf 50 ke liye khel rahe the (Was he only playing for his milestone). Kya unhe apne mulk ke liye nahi khelna tha (Shouldn’t he have played for his country)?. Mulk pehle ya Babar Azam phle. Koi puchega unse (Country is first or Babar Azam is first, will someone ask him)?” Basit Ali said on ARY News.

“Paanch chauke maare apne 50 mey (you have hit only five boundaries in his knock). Usse badhiya toh Salman Ali Agha kehla hai (Salman Ali Agha showed more intent than Babar Azam). Social media mey hume log gaddar bolte hai kyunki hum Babar Azam ko criticise karte hai (On social media fans call me traitor for criticising Babar Azam).”

Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar also criticised star batter Babar Azam for his slow and conservative knock against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy opener, saying that the batter has “no intention to improve”. Babar’s sluggish approach in ODIs made headlines as he made a 90-ball 64 against NZ while chasing 321 in the Champions Trophy opener. His strike rate was extremely underwhelming at 71.11, leaving Pakistan 60 runs short of a win and their net run rate slipped to -1.20. Their next match against arch-rivals India on Sunday has become a virtual knockout.

Speaking in the post-match analysis show ‘Game On Hai’ as quoted by Wisden, Shoaib said, “Babar Azam has become the product he had to become; it is visible; what can I debate about it?. You saw it (against New Zealand). There is no intention to improve.”

“You cannot run a team by acting like Maula Jatt (violent Pakistani fictional character) – ‘Bring this, do this, do that’ etc. You’re not playing T20. You can play T20 cricket with T20 skills, but in longer formats you need awareness, intelligence and method as well. How do you create this package?”

“They used to teach us way back in the 80s and 90s in club cricket how to play run-a-ball. Even us tailenders knew that we have to play run-a-ball,” he concluded.