Babar Azam is the strongest cricketing figure in Pakistan, without any contest. Recently, in the Champions Cup 2024 match between the Stallions and the Dolphins at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed playfully sledged Babar. Sarfaraz was named in the playing XI for the first time in the tournament. He was the mentor for the Dolphins franchise.

Chants of “Babar, Babar” started when Babar got up to bat. Sarfaraz humorously said “Jaldi nahi hain, jaldi nahi hain. Bas in logo ko bolo Babar Babar karte rahe. Babar ko 40 over khila denge aur baaki saare out ho jaenge (No hurry, no hurry. Tell them to do Babar Babar. Let Babar play 40 overs and we will get others out),”.

After all the banter, Babar remained unperturbed as he went on to register a successive hundred, this for his very first time in the tournament. The three-figure mark came in just 99 balls as he compiled 104 runs off 100 deliveries, with seven boundaries and three sixes.

However, his stint as the captain in white-ball cricket may shortly come to an end with Mohammad Rizwan coming along strongly as a contender for the role. Bad news for some and good news for others, the gossip mills have it that Babar may not be able to retain his position as the white-ball skipper for Pakistan. The news has been met with both applause and criticism from fans and ex-cricketing greats. Former cricketer Basit Ali puts his weight behind Rizwan being given the reins of the Men in Green.

“The way Rizwan led the side, he proved there is no better skipper than him. He has shown it with his captaincy. He read the pitch; it is a big thing. Even Babar can’t do that. I am not even talking about Shan. If you don’t make him captain at this time, then it is a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time you should make Rizwan the captain,” Basit said on his YouTube channel.