Even in the third match of the series, Pakistan surrendered helplessly. They lost another game. They were whitewashed. Their failure reached its peak.
In his last 10 matches, Babar Azam has scored five half-centuries. Among those, two came in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand.
So, it’s impossible to say Babar Azam is out of form. In fact, in ODIs right now, Babar is easily Pakistan’s best batter — that can be said with eyes closed!
But this is exactly where the difference between a good batter and a great batter lies. Babar is unable to win matches single-handedly. Yes, he is scoring runs — more than many others. But that’s not changing the fortune of the team. The team still isn’t winning.
Among his two half-centuries against New Zealand, the first was 78 runs off 83 balls — a strike rate of 94. In Mount Maunganui, he scored 50 at a strike rate of 86. So, it’s not like Babar Azam’s strike rate is completely disappointing.
Still, Pakistan’s luck isn’t changing. A major reason for this is the lack of power hitters in the Pakistan team. Babar Azam himself was never a power hitter. And now, he isn’t even able to play the kind of innings required to chase big totals against teams like New Zealand.
So, in the third match of the series, once again Pakistan surrendered helplessly. They lost yet another game. They were whitewashed. Their failure was absolute.
This is Babar’s limitation, his helplessness. Fans may argue — what can Babar do alone? Yes, Babar cannot win matches single-handedly. He cannot do everything by himself. He can play well, he is a good batter — no doubt about that. His good performances can lead Pakistan towards victory, but cannot complete it alone.
