On Thursday, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting recommended Pakistan ace batsman Babar Azam to take a break as Virat Kohli did earlier this year and in 2022. Ponting urged Babar take “the Virat Kohli approach” to fix his problems and revive his career, especially his Test form, where he averaged 20.7 since 2023, in the ICC Review podcast.
After a string of poor performances, the right-handed batsman and two leading pacers were given “rest” from the last two matches of the three-match Test series against England at home in October. Englishmen thrashed the Green Shirts in the first Test. Later, Pakistan won the series 2-1.
Interestingly, Babar leads ODI rankings. He also performed well in the first ODI against Australia this week, scoring 37. Ponting worries more about the former Pakistan captain’s longer-format play.
“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side,” Ponting told the ICC Review. “They must get Babar back into form and into their [Test] team.”
Ponting stated the break refreshed Kohli and changed things for him, so it will for Babar. Ponting stated (Babar’s) stats are similar to what we discussed with Virat [Kohli] earlier. I believe Virat said that he took a break from the game to refresh and resolve some issues.
This may be perfect for Babar. Babar may need to relax and take a break. Lock the kit bag, think about something else, and expect him to return refreshed since we know he’s as excellent as anyone. We want to see that in his later career.”