After a roughly two-year-long rough patch that saw him struggling on the crease, former Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam has opened up about handling failure and dealing with public pressure.
Appearing on Kevin Pietersen’s new YouTube channel “The Switch”, he sat down for a candid conversation with the England great.
During the interview, Kevin asked him how he manages tough phases and criticism, to which Babar said he blocks out distractions and focuses on honest conversations with himself and the people he trusts.
“You know if you have a bad patch then the main thing is focus. There are a lot of distractions and a lot of negative thoughts. People talk and everyone has a different opinion. The main thing is I just stop listening to anyone. I talk to myself and I talk to my coaches,” he said.
Kevin also asked if Babar still has coaches from his early days who guide him.
“Yeah, my school coach is Mama Jee [Uncle]. He always supports me a lot. Mansoor Rana coaches me a lot too. Our very good friend Mushtaq Ahmed… he is a good coach. I spoke with Mushi bhai [Mushtaq Ahmed]. My father always talks with me. Then I get back to normal and focus on my game.”
The former English batter then talked about the intense expectations from fans. “When Babar comes out, Babar has to make a hundred. He is not allowed to make anything less than a hundred,” he said.
“I am a human being. Sometimes you make a few mistakes. Mostly when you are playing, the good time is very short,” he replied.
Babar has faced a challenging run with the bat since scoring 151 against Nepal in the 2023 Asia Cup.
That innings was his last international hundred for a long stretch as he struggled to convert starts for more than a year.
He finally ended the drought when he scored a century against Sri Lanka earlier this month. It was his first hundred after 83 innings across formats, giving him a much-needed boost after months of form-related discussions.
Babar is currently part of Pakistan’s squad for the ongoing tri-nation series featuring Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Pakistan are set to face Sri Lanka in the final on November 29 in Rawalpindi.