Former Pakistan cricketer Mohsin Khan has given a blunt assessment of Babar Azam, arguing that the star batter is limited by the lack of quality players around him. “Look at Virat Kohli — in Tests, he had Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, KL Rahul; in ODIs, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. Great players thrive with strong support,” Mohsin told PTI.
Khan explained that the exclusion of Babar and Mohammad Rizwan from the Asia Cup 2025 squad is partly due to a poor run of form and the additional pressure of leading a thin batting lineup. “When one player carries the team, expectations skyrocket, making it difficult to play freely,” he added.
He also reflected on Pakistan’s cricketing past, noting that teams built around multiple skilled players — Majid Khan, Javed Miandad, Zaheer Abbas, Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Younis Khan — achieved greater balance and consistency. Currently, Mohsin argues, there is a significant quality gap between Babar and the rest of the team.
With 14,749 international runs and 31 centuries, Babar’s record is impressive, but Mohsin insists that a deeper batting lineup is essential for sustained success on the international stage.