Babar Azam Must Silence Doubters and Emulate Viv Richards: Ramiz Raja's Ambitious Expectations

Dropped from all captaincy responsibilities, Babar Azam is currently facing the toughest phase of his international career. Struggling to find form across all formats for over a year, his recent performances have been disappointing. Pakistan's early exits in the past two World Cups have only added to his woes. However, there is no denying Babar's talent and class, which even his harshest critics acknowledge. The big question now is whether he can bounce back from this rough patch. Only time will tell.

Former PCB president Ramiz Raja certainly thinks so. Raja expressed his confidence in Babar Azam's ability to excel in red-ball cricket. He emphasized that Babar should demonstrate his temperament, comparing him to the legendary West Indies batsman Vivian Richards.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ramiz said, "I feel Babar has to achieve a lot more in Test cricket. He plays the white-ball format really well, has an average of 50-plus in both the formats (T20I and ODI)... There is so much potential in Babar Azam. Ab unko apne temperament se batana hai duniya mei ke woh ek Viv Richards hain (now he has to prove to the world with his temperament that he is Viv Richards). Bigger the contest, bigger the innings Richards used to play."

Babar is going through a lean patch in Tests. In his last nine Tests and 17 innings, he has scored just 352 innings at an average of 20.71, with his best score being 41. In 55 Tests, Babar has scored 3,997 runs at an average of 43,92, with nine centuries and 26 fifties and best score of 196. He was rested for the remainder of the home Test series against England following a disappointing performance and a significant loss in the first Test in Multan. However, Pakistan managed to secure a 2-1 series victory, with spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan leading the charge in the subsequent matches.

Meanwhile, Richards is considered as one of the greatest players to have played the sport. In 121 Tests and 182 innings, he scored 8,540 runs at an average of 50.23, with 24 centuries and 45 fifties and a best score of 291.

Pakistan announced 15-member squads for white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe starting from November 4 onwards, with Babar Azam being rested from the Zimbabwe tour and set to play in Australia.

The white-ball series in Australia will start from November 4 onwards with the ODIs and will consist of three ODIs and T20Is each. Pakistan will play three ODIs against Australia from November 4-10, followed by T20Is from November 14-18.

The Zimbabwe tour begins on November 24, with three ODIs, followed by three T20Is, concluding on December 5. All matches will take place in Bulawayo.