Babar Azam’s fake retirement news, posted by an account called ‘Babar Azam—Parody,’ mocked the Pakistan cricket captain. It claimed that Babar, during his time as the red-ball captain, created batting-friendly pitches to make his scores look better.
On Monday afternoon, a retirement post about Babar Azam spread like wildfire on social media. The post looked so real that even die-hard cricket fans could easily fall for it. This news is fake, and Babar Azam won’t be retiring any time soon.
Just two hours later, another similar post popped up. This time, it came from an account with many followers and an X premium subscription, which helped the false news reach even more people.
Why Fake Retirement Rumors Surround Babar Azam?
Babar Azam has been struggling over the past year, going through the toughest period of his career. After Pakistan’s poor performance in the ODI World Cup in India, Babar lost his role as the ODI captain.
His batting form across all formats has also dipped to new lows. In Tests, he has only scored 190 runs in 10 innings, averaging just 19.
In ODIs, his average has dropped to 34, and in T20Is, his average is 38. Even with these numbers, Pakistan’s team results have been disappointing. They were knocked out early from the T20 World Cup after a shocking loss to the USA.
In the Test series against Bangladesh, Babar Azam’s performance was below par. In the first Test match, his struggles were evident as he got out for 0 runs from just 2 balls in the first innings and scored 22 runs off 50 balls in the second innings on August 20.
In the second Test on August 29, Babar managed to score 31 runs from 77 balls in the first innings, but his form dipped again in the second innings, where he could only score 11 runs from 18 balls. Overall, his scores reflected his ongoing struggles with consistency and form.
As a result of these performances, Babar Azam fans seem to lose hope in him, as the match was a huge humiliation in front of the global setting for Pakistan.
Babar Azam’s Recent Performance Sparks Criticism
The rumors about Babar’s retirement started after his poor performance in the Test series against Bangladesh.
During the second Test in Rawalpindi, Babar only managed to score 31 and 11 in his two innings. This triggered a wave of fake news and criticism on social media, targeting his recent form.
Babar Azam, despite being a top cricketer, has faced harsh criticism and trolling online, especially when compared to Virat Kohli.Indian fans have been enraged by these comparisons, leading to a surge of vicious trolling.
The online backlash intensified as Babar’s recent performances have not matched the high standards set by Kohli, who is often celebrated for his exceptional batting.
Azam’s recent struggles have sparked concerns among fans and experts. His current form has led to a lot of negative comments, and some people have been quick to blame him for the team’s failures.
The Pakistani legend, Ramiz Raja, a former cricketer who served as the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board in 2021-2022, has spoken out against these unfair attacks on Babar. Ramiz has urged Babar to avoid spending too much time on social media and to focus on getting back in shape. He believes that hard work in the nets and giving his best on the field are the keys to regaining his form.
Ramiz Raja’s advice reflects what many former players and cricket analysts have been saying, Babar needs to concentrate on his game rather than getting distracted by online criticism. Social media can often blow things out of proportion, and for someone already facing challenges, it can add unnecessary pressure.
