Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting offered a piece of advice to Pakistan ace batter Babar Azam, suggesting him to take a leaf out of India’s Virat Kohli to regain his lost form, particularly in Test cricket.

Babar is going through a rough patch as the right-handed batter averages just 20.7 in Tests since 2023. His series of dismal performances eventually led to his, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah’s exclusion from the side for the remaining two Tests of the three-match series against England.

The right-handed batter, ranked first in the ODI Batting Rankings, however, managed to hold on to his spot in Pakistan’s white-ball sides, currently on a tour of Australia.

Playing his first ODI since the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Babar only managed 37 before being cleaned up by Adam Zampa in the touring side’s gut-wrenching two-wicket defeat in the series opener against Australia on Monday.

However, legendary captain Ponting remained concerned regarding Babar’s dismal form in the longest format, insisting Pakistan should find a way to get their ace batter back into form.

“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side,” Ponting said in the ICC Review. “They’ve got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their [Test] team.”

Ponting then drew parallels between the rough patch of Babar to that of Kohli, who took a notable break in 2022, owing to his three-year century drought.

The break turned out to be beneficial for the Indian batter as he ended his long-going century drought before delivering stellar performances at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022, the highlight of which was his unbeaten match-winning knock against arch-rivals Pakistan.

“You know, when you look at (Babar’s) numbers, it’s been a bit like the stuff that we were talking about with Virat [Kohli] earlier on,” Ponting said. “Sometimes – and I think Virat was on record saying this – that little bit of a break that he had, he took himself away from the game for a while to freshen up and sort out some things that he needed to sort out.

“This might be exactly what Babar needs. Maybe Babar needs to get away for a while and stop trying too hard. Lock the kit bag away for a while, and think about something else and then hopefully come back recharged, because we know at his best he’s as good as anyone going around. Hopefully we get to see that in the back half of his career again.”

Former England captain Nasser Hussain criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after the board announced the exclusion of the former skipper Babar Azam from the second Test against England.

The former English captain highlighted the inconsistency of the board, which makes it hard to predict the future of the national team.

In regard to this he stated that there have been significant changes in the team, adding that constant upheaval hinders long-term planning.

“Pakistan has seen the replacement of 27 selectors, frequent changes in board heads, and the shifting of team captains, which has disrupted stability within the organisation,” he said. “No institution can succeed with such frequent changes.”

Continuing his conversation, the 56-year-old expressed dissatisfaction with the exclusion of the star batter Babar Azam.

He said: “After witnessing just one poor performance, how can you exclude someone in the mid of the series. Also, such decisions should be taken either before or after the series ends.”

“The issue is not with Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, or Naseem Shah. The real problem is with how Pakistan cricket is being run,” Hussain said.

Moreover, the commentator wasn’t happy with the Pakistan cricket repeatedly making decisions that are detrimental to its progress.

As the second Test match between Pakistan and England approaches, star batter Babar Azam is likely to be rested for the upcoming match.

The second Test between the two teams is set to take place from October 15-19 at the Multan Cricket Stadium, while the announcement of the squad is likely to be made today.

Several changes, as per the sources, are expected in the Pakistani squad, which will be announced following an approval from Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

Insiders said the suggestion to rest “out-of-form” former captain has been given by the selectors due to his below-the-par performance in the first Test match with the English side.

They added that both the Green Shirts and England will practice for the upcoming Test today at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Moreover, Green Shirts are also likely to include two spinners to the squad and left arm spinner Noman Ali and off-spinner Sajid Khan are being considered in this regard.

It may be noted that leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed is going to miss the second Test, as he fell ill and is currently undergoing treatment.

Sources had earlier stated that a fast bowler or batter could also be dropped for the second Test to accommodate the spinners.

Pakistan faced a humiliating defeat in the first Test against England by an innings and 47 runs at the Multan Cricket Stadium on October 11.

In order to stay in the tournament, the Shan Masood-led side must perform well, as their previous performance has badly affected their rankings, with Pakistan now ranked No. 9.

Former South African skipper and one of the leading batsmen in the world of cricket, AB de Villiers weighed in on Babar Azam’s decision to step down as the of Pakistan’s white-ball team captain.

Last night, Babar announced that he was stepping down from the white-ball captaincy, saying that it was time for him to focus on his playing role and personal growth.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had reappointed Babar as the national team’s captain for T20I and one-day internationals (ODIs) on March 31. He had earlier ended his years-long stint as skipper in November 2023 after he stepped down as captain of the national side.

Expressing his support for Babar’s choice, De Villiers highlighted that this decision could allow the star batter to focus on his game and return to his best form.

Reacting to Babar’s X post, the South African wrote, “Congrats. You’ve been great. Now for plenty more runs for your team.”

A day earlier, speaking about his role as the skipper, Babar said captaincy had been a rewarding experience but it added a significant workload. “I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy,” he stressed.

“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth,” Babar wrote.

Expressing his gratefulness for the support, the star batter said he is excited to continue contributing to the team as a player.

This is the second time Babar left the captaincy of the national side.

He had stepped down from captaincy amid severe criticism after Pakistan failed to perform in the Asia Cup and continued the same performance into the World Cup — where they crashed out before reaching the semis.

Batsman Babar Azam on Tuesday announced that he has decided to resign as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team.

In a post on X, Azam said: “I have decided to resign as captain of the Pakistan men’s cricket team, effective as of my notification to the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) and Team Management last month.

“It’s been an honour to lead this team, but it’s time for me to step down and focus on my playing role.”

He said captaincy had been a “rewarding experience” but it added a “significant workload” on him.

“I want to prioritise my performance, enjoy my batting, and spend quality time with my family, which brings me joy.

“By stepping down, I will gain clarity moving forward and focus more energy on my game and personal growth,” he said.

Azam added that he was grateful for the unwavering support and belief in him.

“Your enthusiasm has meant the world to me. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to continue contributing to the team as a player.”