PSL-winning Babar Azam’s “focus is on all three formats”

Peshawar Zalmi last won a PSL trophy in 2017. Since then, all the other teams (barring the debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindiz) had won at least one trophy each. Babar Azam, too, had a PSL trophy to his name, and while he was central to winning the title that season, he wasn’t captaining the side. In PSL 11, however, the two changed their fate quite remarkably.

Babar’s Key Role in Zalmi’s Triumph

Babar Azam was a key part of Zalmi's triumphant campaign, both as a batter and as captain. Scoring 588 runs at an average of 73.5, he ended as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. This was a welcome escape from his long-standing form woes that had followed Babar across formats. His runs dried up, he lost captaincy of all formats for Pakistan, and was left out of several important games.

And while it remains to be seen whether he can replicate his PSL brilliance in international cricket, the fact that he looked comfortable while clocking the scoreboard exhibits several good signs for both Babar and Pakistan.

Is Babar finally out of his rough patch?

His return to international cricket would not be a long wait as Babar flies to Bangladesh for a red-ball series beginning May 8. He is currently one of the few Pakistan regulars across formats and for now, the right-handed batter has no plans to change that.

"My focus is on all three formats," Babar said.

"I feel a batter should play all cricket and should not limit himself to white-ball cricket.

"Red-ball cricket teaches you the art of batting long and instils patience in you. It helps you to understand how you can score big runs.

"And all the learnings from the red-ball game help you in white-ball cricket."

The last time he scored a Test century was in December 2022. He has gone 30 Test innings without entering triple figures. But from what he tells, he has worked hard to find a way around that, all of which will be put to the test when he faces Bangladesh next week.

"I was not up to my own expectations, but it is normal for a batter to struggle with his execution," he said.

"You have to take a few steps back and assess where you are going wrong and correct it. You need support in such times, and my family and close friends kept me motivated. I discussed the areas of improvement with the coaches who are close to me and worked on them."

C'est la vie 

Whether it really proves to be a turning point for Babar’s career arc, he is ready to keep learning from whatever life throws at him.

"Life is like a rollercoaster, and things never stay the same. You learn from your good and bad experiences. That is how life goes."

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