"He probably does not have the ability that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have" - Mohammad Kaif on Babar Azam's struggles while changing gears

Mohammad Kaif reckons Babar Azam, unlike Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, does not possess the ability to change gears in ODI cricket.

Pakistan bowled out Bangladesh for 204 in their 2023 World Cup league-phase clash in Kolkata on Tuesday, October 31. Although Azam managed only nine runs off 16 deliveries, the Men in Green registered a resounding seven-wicket win with 17.3 overs to spare.

During a discussion on Star Sports, Kaif was asked about Azam perishing in the deep when he potentially had the time to play himself in, to which he responded:

"I will not judge him based on this knock because he ran after the run rate. He had to finish the game early. So that big shot came. But overall his form is not good. He is scoring fifties and sixties but the hundred hasn't come."

The former India batter added:

"The dismissal shows that when he changes gears, it is not his game. When he tries to hit balls out of the boundary, he gets caught on the line. It is not his strength, he is a touch player. If you ask him to score runs at a fast pace after 60 balls, he probably does not have the ability that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have."

Kaif claimed that Babar Azam has often failed when his team has needed big shots from him. He highlighted that the Pakistan skipper got out while trying to play a lap shot after scoring a fifty against South Africa.

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"He will have to improve his strike rate" - Irfan Pathan on Babar Azam

Babar Azam has a strike rate of 77.69 in the 2023 World Cup. [P/C: AP]

Irfan Pathan suggested that Babar Azam needs to improve his strike rate, especially against spinners, if he wants to excel in limited-overs cricket. He said:

"In modern-day cricket, if Babar Azam has to become a great player, especially in white-ball cricket, he has generally scored runs at a good pace but he has got out to an off-spinner quite a few times - here also he got out to an off-spinner, he will have to improve his strike rate."

The former India all-rounder added that the right-handed batter needs to improve his game against spin outside Pakistan. He explained:

"Nearly 300-350 runs are being scored in modern-day cricket, especially in multi-nation tournaments. Playing in Pakistan, where you get extremely flat pitches, is different. When you come out, you will get slight and more spin at times, so your strike rate needs to improve."

Pathan concluded by pointing out that Azam has a strike rate close to 80 in the entire World Cup and a strike rate of 64 against spinners. He added that such numbers aren't fitting for the best player of a team.