Reputation Is Not Ahead Of Team’s Needs: Ashwin LAMBASTS Babar’s Knock

Around 9 PM on February 19, former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tweeted “The Tortoise and Rabbit story” while talking about Babar Azam’s partnership with Salman Ali Agha. 

While the former Pakistan skipper was content in defending the ball, the latter came out smashing as per the situation, scoring 42 off 28 balls. Babar’s slow knock meant that everyone around him had to go big and quick, which put additional pressure on everyone. 

Eventually, Pakistan lost the clash by 60 runs against New Zealand and are all but knocked out of the Champions Trophy 2025, with a tough fixture against India to follow. Ashwin tore Babar’s knock apart, stating that a cricketer’s reputation should never come before the team’s needs. 

“I’m a big fan of Babar Azam. Sometimes, as cricketers, when we want to safeguard our reputation, it becomes a problem. Reputation is not ahead of the team. It [Babar’s knock] was very difficult to watch,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin didn’t stop there, lambasting the former Pakistan skipper for playing a knock that was even outdated for 1990s ODI cricket. He also questioned whether Babar came into cricket without having many cricketing shots, making it tougher for him to increase his strike rate.

“I actually feel coming into cricket, Babar Azam didn’t create shot options for himself apart from intent. He doesn’t have any shots, there’s no shot for square of the wicket, no sweep, no reverse sweep, bottom hand is closed. There are no shots in his armoury. Such innings weren’t even played in the 1990s [80-ball 50],” Ashwin added.

The off-spinner also shamed Pakistan’s approach in the powerplay, stating that there’s no way a team can score just 20 runs in the first ten-over phase in 2025. 

“What did they play yesterday? First 10 overs, they scored 20 runs without any shame. Salman Ali Agha, what a batting display, Tayyab Tahir, too, is aggressive, giving them a good platform to play. He’s [Babar] charging down the ground to just defend the ball, he’s just playing dot ball everywhere. For this, he could have just gotten out,” he added.

“What makes me sad is that I agree he’s out of form, he wants to get back to form. But there are only three matches in CT, even if one is gone, you are almost knocked out. It was the same Pakistan that chased 350 recently, how can you score just 20 runs in the first powerplay? It wasn’t powerplay, it was poor play.”

Ashwin didn’t stop there, noting how New Zealand had tactically utilised Glenn Phillips as a bowling option against Babar, with the latter not really attacking any bowler. 

“Later on, Michael Bracewell is bowling, Glenn Phillips is bowling, even Fakhar Zaman is trying to hit six but our man [Babar] is just charging to score nothing. At least in anger, he could have hit something. After he got to 50, he scored a six. When you have such a good game, and you play with this intent, I’m flabbergasted. I couldn’t watch the match; it was bad.”

Pakistan’s next clash in Champions Trophy 2025 is against India on February 23 in Dubai.