Pakistan’s Champions Trophy squad has finally been announced, and while there’s no surprise that many of the core players have been retained, the spotlight is on Babar Azam, the star batter. As the defending champions, Pakistan’s eyes are set on retaining their title, with the tournament beginning on February 19, 2025. The squad blends youthful energy with experience, and Babar Azam’s presence remains crucial to their hopes.
However, despite being one of the top three players in the world in 50-over cricket, Babar Azam seems to be experiencing a dip in form. He has consistently been Pakistan’s talisman, but there’s a sense that the batter is not the same as he once was. While he is still ranked number one in the ICC ODI rankings, there are reasons to be concerned about his performance in the upcoming Champions Trophy. In this piece, we highlight three significant factors that suggest Babar Azam might struggle in the 2025 edition of the Champions Trophy.
1) Poor Performances in Recent ICC Tournaments
Babar Azam has underperformed in the past two major ICC tournaments, which raises concerns about his form ahead of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan’s early exit in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup was largely due to several key players failing to deliver, and Babar Azam was one of them. Despite being Pakistan’s best batter in the tournament, Babar could not make match-winning contributions. He scored a total of 320 runs in 9 matches, but none of those runs came in matches that could have turned the tide in Pakistan’s favor. His inability to step up in crunch moments during the World Cup hurt Pakistan’s chances of progressing past the group stage.
In the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Babar’s form was equally disappointing. Despite being a captain, he managed only 122 runs in 4 matches at a strike rate of just 101, and once again, Pakistan’s exit from the group stage meant that Babar could not lead his team to a deep run. Given his track record in ICC tournaments over the last couple of years, history seems to be repeating itself, and Babar will need to prove that he can deliver when the stakes are high. His failure to perform in two major ICC tournaments casts doubt on whether he can change his fortunes in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
2) Struggles with Consistency
One of the most worrying trends surrounding Babar Azam’s recent form is his inconsistency. While he remains a world-class batter, his performances in 2024 were far from remarkable. He failed to produce the match-winning innings that his team desperately needed, and his overall form seemed to be in decline. His series against South Africa was one of the few highlights of the year, where he looked like his old self, but the subsequent series against the West Indies saw him struggle with a string of low scores. His lack of consistency, particularly in the lead-up to a major ICC event, raises concerns about his readiness for the Champions Trophy.
The Champions Trophy is one of the most prestigious tournaments in cricket, and in such a high-pressure environment, players like Babar Azam need to be at their peak. However, Babar’s recent performances don’t inspire confidence, as he has been unable to produce significant runs consistently. With the tournament just around the corner, Babar’s lack of form could become a major liability for Pakistan.
3) Opposition Teams Have Found His Weakness
Babar Azam has long been regarded as one of the most technically sound batters in the world. His elegance and consistency were the hallmarks of his success, but it seems that opposition teams have finally identified his weakness. Over the past year, there has been a noticeable pattern in Babar’s dismissals—he tends to struggle against incoming deliveries. Bowlers have increasingly exploited this weakness by targeting his off-stump with deliveries that nip back in. This vulnerability has led to Babar’s downfall in multiple matches across formats, and it’s something that opposition teams are now fully aware of.
As a result, it is likely that Babar will face a concerted effort from bowlers in the Champions Trophy to exploit this weakness. Given the level of competition in the tournament, where every team will be looking for any chink in the armor of key players, Babar’s inability to consistently deal with deliveries that come back in could be his undoing. If bowlers continue to bowl to his weakness, we could see more early dismissals from Babar in critical matches.
Conclusion: Is Babar Azam Ready for the Challenge?
While it is undeniable that Babar Azam is a world-class batter, his form in the last few ICC tournaments, coupled with his inconsistency and newly discovered weaknesses, raises serious concerns about his prospects in the 2025 Champions Trophy. The pressure will be on him to deliver as Pakistan looks to defend its title, but with the odds stacked against him, it remains to be seen whether Babar can overcome these challenges and prove his worth once again on the global stage.
As one of the most valuable players in the Pakistan squad, all eyes will be on Babar during the Champions Trophy. But if recent trends are anything to go by, the batter may struggle to live up to expectations. Whether or not Babar can rise to the occasion and prove his critics wrong will be one of the key storylines of the upcoming tournament.
