Jab international level par run banna band ho jayein aur duniya bhar ke bowlers aapki technique ki dhajjiya uda rahe hon, toh insaan ko wapis mitti se judna padta hai. Our very own self-proclaimed King, Babar Azam, has finally decided to face reality. 2019 ke baad pehli baar, Babar domestic first-class cricket ki kadi dhoop mein paseena bahayenge. Aakhir carrer bachaana hai toh kuch toh karna hi padega!
To Hua esa hai ki:
Khabar pakki hai ki Babar Azam ne khud PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) se request ki hai ki unhe kisi team mein fit kiya jaye. Results? Unhe Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) ki team mein as a guest player jagah mili hai. Sochiye, ek player jo kabhi ICC rankings ke top par hota tha, aaj use domestic tournament mein guest ban kar khelna pad raha hai. Yeh move tab aaya hai jab Pakistan ki team Test cricket mein disaster performance de rahi hai aur England ne unhe unke hi ghar mein 3-0 se sweep kar diya hai.
Babar Azam ne last domestic red-ball match 2019 mein khela tha. Tab se lekar ab tak, unhone domestic cricket ko shayad apne niche ka level samjha, lekin ab jab form ne saath chhoda hai toh wapis wahi rasta yaad aaya hai. Form ka haal yeh hai ki December 2022 se unke bat se ek bhi Test century nahi nikli hai. Pakistan vs New Zealand match ke baad se Babar ka bat khamosh hai, aur fans sirf purane records dekh kar dil behla rahe hain.
Analysis & Numbers
- Babar Azam ka Test average 2023 se sirf 30.43 ka reh gaya hai, jo unke career average se 12.55 runs kam hai.
- Pichli 39 innings mein Babar ne sirf 8 half-centuries banayi hain, jisme ek 18-innings ka aisa stretch tha jahan wo 41 runs bhi cross nahi kar paye.
- Pakistan filhaal ICC Test rankings mein 9th position par hai aur World Test Championship (WTC) table mein sabse neeche bottom par baithi hai.
- Home Champions Trophy 2025 se bhi Pakistan mahaz 5 din ke andar bahar ho gayi thi jab unhe India vs Pakistan aur New Zealand ke khilaaf har ka samna karna pada.
- Shaheen Shah Afridi aur Salman Agha jaise senior players ne bhi domestic cricket khelne ka faisla kiya hai kyunki PCB contracts ab players ko force kar rahe hain ki wo red-ball cricket mein wapis aayein.
Itna hi nahi, fast-bowling allrounder Aamer Jamal ne bhi Markhor IT Solutions (MITS) join kiya hai as a guest player. England tour par flop hone ke baad, in sabhi sitaaro ko ab Pakistan ki local pitches par ghisna padega. Babar ki nayi team OGDCL ka haal bhi kuch khas nahi hai, wo already follow-on khel rahe hain aur unke regular captain Imam-ul-Haq fitness test fail hone ki wajah se bahar hain. Aise mein Babar ka aana team ke liye shayad raahat ho, lekin Babar ke apne career ke liye yeh ek bada imtihaan hai.
The Guru Gyan Verdict:
Babar Azam ka domestic cricket mein wapis aana koi Masterclass nahi balki ek majboori hai. Jab aap international level par short ball ke khilaaf dance karne lagein, toh samajh lijiye ki basics hil chuke hain. Domestic khelna achhi baat hai, lekin 7 saal ka gap batata hai ki aapne apne format ki respect tab tak nahi ki jab tak aapka career khatre mein nahi aaya. Pakistan cricket is waqt ICU mein hai, aur agar Babar yahan bhi fail hote hain, toh unhe 'King' kehna band karke 'Ex-Player' kehne ka waqt jaldi aa jayega.
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