Babar, who has often been hailed as one of the top batsmen in the world, failed to impress, scoring a duck in the first innings and a slow 22 off 50 balls in the second in Rawalpindi.
In a scathing critique on his YouTube channel, Basit expressed his disappointment: “I’m feeling very disappointed that it seems as if you’ve forgotten how to bat, or have the Bangladesh bowlers cast some magic on you, or is it the pitch that’s done the trick? Aap log toh bade bade Bradman ho na (You all are supposed to be big Bradmans, right?) ICC No. 1 Babar Azam. He got a life when a catch was dropped, but then Nahid Rana chased Babar down with his pace. When he got out, it looked like he didn’t even expect the ball to come back like that.”
Pakistan Ke Liye Khelo Pakistan Se Maat Khelo, Kuch Sharma Karo | Basit Ali
Babar’s struggles were a part of Pakistan’s broader batting collapse in the first Test, where Bangladesh secured a historic 10-wicket victory.
The win was Bangladesh’s first-ever Test victory over Pakistan, breaking a long streak of 12 losses and one draw in their previous encounters.
In the match, Bangladesh’s spinners, led by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib Al Hasan, played a crucial role, dismantling Pakistan’s batting line-up in the second innings.
The pitch, with its deteriorating condition and uneven bounce, added to Pakistan’s woes, and their decision to leave out a frontline spinner proved costly.
The defeat raises significant concerns for Pakistan, especially given their recent struggles in Test cricket on home soil.
As they head into the second and final Test of the series, the pressure is on Babar and the Pakistan side to bounce back and avoid an embarrassing series defeat.