Kamal Ghorui
Pakistan batter Babar Azam had another low return in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, getting out for 2 off 5 balls in the second match at Lahore on Saturday.Babar was dismissed by leg-spinner Adam Zampa on the first ball of the eighth over. Attempting to play the ball towards the leg side, he was trapped in front of the stumps and had no chance of survival once the ball struck the front pad. This was the second consecutive time Zampa has dismissed Babar in T20Is.
After choosing to bat, Pakistan lost opener Sahibzada Farhan early, with the right-hander scoring 5 off 5 balls before getting out in the second over. Opener Saim Ayub then added stability alongside captain Salman Ali Agha. The pair put together a 55-run stand for the second wicket before Ayub was dismissed for 23 off 11 balls.Salman continued at the crease, but Babar became the third batter to depart, leaving Pakistan in trouble at 76 for 3. Pakistan had come into the match leading the three-match series 1-0.Babar’s dismissal triggered reactions on social media, with several users questioning his place in the T20 side. One user posted on X, “Give me freedom Give me fire Give me Zimbabwe Or I’ll Retire.”A Pakistani journalist also criticised the batter, writing, “76/3 why is he in the team ? Babar Azam is not a t20 cricketer period.”
