AB de Villiers comes out in support of Babar Azam

Former South African captain AB de Villiers has come out in support of Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam, who is currently enduring a rough patch with the bat, including his recent performances in the ongoing tri-nation ODI series.

During a live interaction with fans on his YouTube channel, de Villiers was asked what advice he would give to Babar.

He praised the Pakistan batter, saying, "Babar Azam is in good form; he just needs to keep doing what he's doing. He’s the fastest to 6,000 runs alongside Hashim Amla, so he must be doing something right."

"We all know he has lost a bit of form in Test cricket over the past few seasons, and the added pressure of captaincy has played on his mind," he added.

The 40-year-old highlighted that with the captaincy pressure no longer on Babar’s shoulders, he now has the freedom to channel all his energy into scoring runs and supporting Mohammad Rizwan, who has taken over leadership responsibilities.

"For him, it’s about maintaining his rhythm and focusing on getting the job done. It’s another big tournament, and now that the pressure of captaincy is gone, he can let Rizwan handle that burden and support him, especially with the bat," he said.

"Just focus on scoring runs. That’s the same advice I give to my son when he’s frustrated about not making a team or not batting where he wants. My message to Babar is simple: keep scoring runs," he added.

The former wicket-keeper batter also praised Pakistan's white-ball captain, Mohammad Rizwan, for his exceptional performances in the recently concluded tri-nation series.

Rizwan played a match-winning knock of an unbeaten 122 against South Africa in a record chase of 352 runs.

"Captain Mohammad Rizwan looks to be in good form. He scored quite a few runs throughout this tournament—good signs," he said.

Babar’s recent performances as an opener in the tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa have sparked discussions about his batting position.

He struggled to make an impact, scoring 10 (23), 23 (19) and 29 (34) in three matches, including the final in Karachi.

With the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 approaching, concerns are growing over Babar’s adjustment to the opening role.

Historically, he has thrived at No. 3 in ODIs, where he has amassed 5,416 runs in 104 matches at an impressive average of 60.17 and a strike rate of 88.33, including 29 half-centuries and 19 centuries.