Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged Pakistan’s Babar Azam to emulate Virat Kohli’s strategy to regain his lost form. Babar, who was rested for the final two Tests against England due to poor form, has struggled to find his rhythm in recent times.
Ponting believes that Babar should consider taking a break from cricket, similar to what Kohli did in 2022. Kohli’s sabbatical helped him rediscover his form and return to his best.
“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side. They’ve got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their (Test) team,” Ponting said in the ICC Review.
“You know, when you look at (Babar’s) numbers, it’s been a bit like the stuff that we were talking about with Virat Kohli earlier on. Sometimes – and I think Virat was on record saying this – that little bit of a break that he had, he took himself away from the game for a while to freshen up and sort out some things that he needed to sort out.”
Ponting added that Babar may need to “get away for a while and stop trying too hard.”
“Lock the kit bag away for a while, and think about something else and then hopefully come back recharged, because we know at his best he’s as good as anyone going around. Hopefully, we get to see that in the back half of his career again,” Ponting said.
Babar has amassed 3,997 runs at an average of 43.92 in 55 Test matches. However, he has not scored a Test half-century in 18 innings since late 2022.
Pakistan won the Test series against England 2-1 under the leadership of Shan Masood. Babar’s return to form will be crucial for Pakistan’s success in upcoming Test matches.
