“If he is still not hungry to perform, it will hurt a lot” – Basit Ali on Babar Azam dropping to 9th spot in ICC rankings for Test batters

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali feels it is high time that former skipper Babar Azam performs for the country in the second Test match against Bangladesh at Rawalpindi. Pakistan was stunned by the Tigers at the same venue in the opening Test as they suffered a 10-wicket loss.

Azam returned with scores of 0 and 22 in the first Test match and failed to deliver the goods for the team. The right-hander had the rub of the green as he was dropped for naught by Litton Das in the second essay but he could not make the most of his second life. The flamboyant batter has been struggling to find his form in the recent past and as a result, he has dropped to ninth spot in the ICC rankings for Test batters.

Basit Ali said on his YouTube Channel, “The biggest news for me is Babar Azam dropping to No. 9 in the ICC rankings. This is very good for Babar Azam. His ranking should go down in the ODIs as well. He is not the No.1 batter in ODIs. Now Babar will be hungry. If he is still not hungry to perform, it will hurt a lot. The ICC announcing the ranking ahead of the second Test could be a blessing in disguise for Babar.”

Ali wants Pakistan to follow in the footsteps of India’s think tank and do what the neighboring country is doing correctly. The expert wants Pakistan to focus on the multi-day format.

“There will be a One-Day tournament called the Champions Cup after the Test series. Pakistan have copied the systems of England, Australia and New Zealand. India is right next to us, please copy their system too. You need intelligence in copying as well. Just copy what India is doing. The Duleep Trophy is about to begin. Is it a T20 or One-Day tournament? It is a four-day tournament. They are focused on making their base stronger, which is why they are so successful.”

The second Test match between Pakistan and Bangladesh will be played at Rawalpindi from Friday onwards.