Kamal Ghorui
The Pakistan Super League 2026 is set to get underway, and the spotlight is firmly on Pakistan star batter Babar Azam, who will lead Peshawar Zalmi this season. Whether it’s practice sessions or nets, Babar remains the centre of attention, with cameras following his every move and fans cheering him on. However, an ad shoot featuring the star batter turned into a trolling topic on Friday.Ahead of their season opener, Babar was part of an advertisement shoot where he ended up dropping a catch.During the shoot, Babar was asked to dive to his right to take a catch, with two foam mattresses placed for safety.As the ball was thrown towards him, he dived to his right, landed on the mattresses, but failed to hold on to a straightforward chance.The video from the shoot has gone viral on social media, with the batter facing heavy trolling.“Even the mattress company knows Babar will drop it… so they put the bed right there!”, a user wrote.“Isse gadde rakh kar bhi catch nahi liya ja raha socho agar bina gadde k pakadta to kya hota. shayad ye 1 saal tak khel hi nahi paata,” another user said.“Payment nahi milega aab,” another user wrote.Meanwhile, PSL 11 will be played entirely behind closed doors, stripping the tournament of its trademark electric atmosphere. The decision has been taken by the Pakistan government due to ongoing regional geopolitical tensions.Babar admitted that the absence of fans will be deeply felt by players on the field.“We will certainly miss the fans in the stadiums and I am sure they will also miss watching the action live. Wherever we play, we receive tremendous support and we will try to play an exciting brand of cricket to make our fans proud while they follow us on television and social media,” the Zalmi captain said.On being asked about his team, Babar added: “Our bowling lacked consistency last season, but this time we have a strong bowling line-up. Our focus is on executing our plans well and delivering better results.”
