Legendary Australian cricketer Ricky Ponting has suggested that Pakistan batter Babar Azam take a break from cricket to regain his form, similar to what Virat Kohli did. Babar has been struggling with his form recently, particularly in Test cricket. He has failed to score a half-century in his last 18 Test innings and had a disappointing T20 World Cup 2024.
They've got to find a way to get Babar back into form: Ricky Ponting on Babar Azam
Despite returning to the national side, he managed only 37 runs in the first ODI against Australia. Ponting emphasized the importance of bringing Babar back into form for Pakistan's Test team. He believes that a short break from the game could be the solution to revive Babar's batting prowess.
“The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side. They've got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their [Test] team. 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 on the ICC Review.
Ponting further drew parallels between Babar's current form and Virat Kohli's recent struggles. He highlighted how Kohli took a break from cricket to rejuvenate his mental state and subsequently returned to form. Ponting suggested that a similar approach might benefit Babar and help him regain his confidence and performance level.
“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,” he added.
Ponting further recommended that Babar should consider taking a break from cricket to recharge and return to the game with renewed energy and focus. He believes that this approach could be beneficial for Babar's mental well-being and performance.
“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” Ponting concluded.
Babar Azam would want to make a strong comeback in the second ODI against Australia which will be played on November 8 at Adelaide Oval. After losing the first ODI by two wickets, Pakistan will be aiming bounce back in the second onctest to level the series after losing the first ODI by a narrow margin of two wickets.
