Srinagar: Former Paksitan cricketer Mushtaq Ahmad has come out with his own suggestion for struggling Babar Azam to regain his form.
Pakistan is scheduled to take on Australia in the third Test of their series at the Sydney Cricket Ground on January 3. Australia has already secured victory in the initial two matches.
Speaking to a local sports channel, Mushtaq said that Kohli takes a break when he’s out of form, proposing that Babar should do the same given his recent struggle.
”Across the world, we provide coaching, and when we realize a player is mentally disturbed, we give them a break of 2 or 3 matches. When Virat Kohli was out of form, he took a break, and since then, he hasn’t faced the same struggles. The management should have taken ownership and advised Babar to take a rest,” said Mushtaq.
“Babar has given outstanding performances, and he is our hero. He is considered one of the top players in the world. However, he faced challenges such as losing the Asia Cup, the World Cup, and subsequently losing the captaincy amid rumours and difficulties. Often in our culture, we fail to realise the need for breaks. If I were there, I would have suggested giving Babar some rest,” Mushtaq added.
Pakistan has made two changes for the third and final Test of the series against Australia, commencing tomorrow at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Saim Ayub will debut, replacing opener Imam-ul-Haq in the lineup. Meanwhile, spinner Sajid Khan has been included in place of Shaheen.