Babar Azam faced heavy trolling after failing to open his account on his T20I comeback. On Tuesday, October 28, the former Pakistan captain registered a two-ball duck as his team faced South Africa in the opening T20I at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Batting at No. 3, Babar was dismissed by Corbin Bosch.
Babar walked in after Lizaad Williams removed Sahibzada Farhan, who scored 24 off 19 balls in a 31-run opening stand with Saim Ayub. Chasing a stiff target of 195 for a 1-0 lead in the series, Pakistan’s hopes took a blow early when their star batter departed cheaply.
Pakistan vs South Africa, 1st T20I Updates
Bosch bowled a pacy length delivery on off-stump that hit the bat hard. Babar tried to play across the line, but the ball took the thick outer half and went straight to Reeza Hendricks at cover. The Rawalpindi crowd was left stunned as Babar walked back without troubling the scorers.
Fans lashed out at Babar Azam, claiming he should never be compared to a player of Virat Kohli’s calibre. Kohli, despite scoring back-to-back ducks against Australia in the recent ODI series, bounced back strongly with a composed half-century at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Here’s how fans reacted to Babar Azam’s duck
BABAR AZAM LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK
Babar Azam was dropped from Pakistan’s T20I squad after the tour of South Africa last year. He also missed out on a place in the Asia Cup squad, where Pakistan finished as runners-up after losing to India in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Head coach Mike Hesson had said that Babar needed to improve his strike rate and his gameplay against spin to earn a recall. However, after Pakistan’s batting struggles in the Asia Cup, the selectors decided to bring him back.
Babar will now aim to make amends when the second T20I takes place on Friday, October 31, at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Later this year, Babar will also play for the Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025-26.
– Ends
