Karachi, April 21, 2026: Azhar Mahmood, bowling coach of Peshawar Zalmi, has strongly defended Babar Azam, stating that the star batter was not properly utilised during Pakistan’s campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he was pressured to alter his natural playing style.
Speaking to reporters after Zalmi’s emphatic 118-run win over Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), Azhar said expectations around strike rate forced Babar out of his natural rhythm and approach.
Azhar praised Babar’s match-winning unbeaten 100 off 52 balls in Zalmi’s dominant victory, calling it a return to his classic batting style.
“Babar has always been world-class,” Azhar said. “He was going through a slightly difficult phase, but we worked with him and reminded him to play his natural game — proper cricketing shots, not just power hitting.”
He added that Babar’s recent form in the PSL, where he has crossed 400 runs at a strike rate above 143, reflects his rediscovery of fluent, classical batting.
“The way he played today was beautiful. You can see his proper cricketing shots again,” he said.
“He was not utilised properly in World Cup”
Azhar also addressed criticism surrounding Babar’s strike rate during the T20 World Cup, arguing that role changes and batting position adjustments created unnecessary pressure.
“When you made him bat at number four in the World Cup, people started talking about his strike rate,” he said. “But if you look at Pakistan’s T20 cricket, we don’t have many players with extremely high strike rates. Babar’s international strike rate is around 128 — not much different in context.”
He stressed that Babar’s value lies in consistency and anchoring innings. “What you get with Babar is stability. He builds the platform so that power hitters can play freely,” Azhar noted.
He added that excessive focus on strike rate comparisons contributed to mismanagement of the batter. “I think there was a lot of pressure and hype around his strike rate. I don’t think he was utilised properly,” he said.
Azhar also widened his criticism to the broader structure of Pakistan cricket, saying the system suffers from an overemphasis on short-term results rather than long-term planning.
“In Pakistan, there is always too much focus on results rather than process,” he said. “If you follow a proper process, players improve over time. But we keep changing direction.”
He further pointed to frequent coaching changes as a major issue affecting consistency and player development.
“In the last couple of years, six to eight coaches have come and gone. Players don’t know who will be there tomorrow,” he observed.
Azhar’s remarks came after Zalmi’s commanding performance against Quetta Gladiators, where Babar’s unbeaten century anchored a strong batting display and set up a comprehensive victory.
The win further strengthened Zalmi’s position in the ongoing PSL season, with Babar’s form emerging as a key highlight of the tournament so far.
