Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Rashid Latif has stirred debate by comparing Babar Azam’s recent struggles to the challenges faced by Indian legends Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.
Latif’s analysis focuses on the technical shortcomings that he believes are holding Babar back, especially during his recent dip in form.
He argues that Babar’s aggressive approach, once his strength, is now making it difficult for him to regain his form. He drew parallels to Sehwag’s prolonged struggles during lean phases in his career.
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What are Rashid Latif's concerns about Babar Azam's technique?
Rashid Latif highlighted that Babar Azam’s current struggles are deeply rooted in technical issues, not just poor form.
"It becomes really difficult for our players to come out of poor form if there is some issue with their technique. I have seen many players going through a form slump, including Sachin Tendulkar," said Latif.
Latif highlighted that Tendulkar’s sound technique allowed him to navigate through tough periods with relative ease, but Babar lacks this finesse.
"Since Sachin had a sound and good batting technique, he never took time to overcome the patchy form," Latif added.
He pointed out that Babar’s aggressive style is leading to poor shot selection, which is making it harder for him to recover from his slump. He expressed concern that Babar’s aggressive instincts, which served him well in the past, are now causing more harm than good.
He said that Babar is struggling to make the right decisions at the crease, particularly when it comes to deciding which balls to hit and which to leave.
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What did Rashid Latif say while comparing Babar Azam to Virender Sehwag?
Latif went further by comparing Babar’s current situation to that of Virender Sehwag, another player known for his aggressive batting. Sehwag often took longer to regain form when he was out of it, largely due to technical shortcomings.
Latif sees a similar pattern in Babar Azam, noting that Babar, like Sehwag, is struggling to bounce back because of flaws in his technique.
"Players like Virender Sehwag used to take more time to come out of a lean patch. This is the difference between a better player and a comparatively less skilled player," Latif added.
Latif’s advice seems clear: Babar needs to refine his technique and adjust his approach if he wants to overcome this difficult period. Without these changes, Latif fears that Babar’s struggles may continue, much like Sehwag’s did during his lean phases.
