Babar Azam's true comeback will come not through social media defenses, but through silence, hard work, and his bat
02 June, 2025
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PHOTO: AP
Every father in the world loves his children immensely. He wishes for them to become great individuals and works hard to make that happen. However, only a few actually achieve such greatness. In this regard, Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, is a fortunate man. His tireless efforts to make his son an international cricketer paid off. For any parent, there can be no greater joy than seeing their child achieve fame and recognition across the globe.
If you look at most cricketers, their parents emphasized academics, while elder brothers supported their sporting dreams. But in Babar’s case, the opposite happened—his father was his biggest supporter from day one. I’ve seen cricketers who would come to a teammate’s hotel room saying, “Man, my dad is really suffocating me; I have no space. If he calls, just say I’m not here.” And when the call came, the lie was told.
In contrast, Babar is an obedient son who doesn’t take a major step without consulting his father. The one who has seen someone’s rise feels the fall the most. Unfortunately, Babar’s recent performances haven’t matched his past brilliance. He has been dropped from the national team, having already lost the captaincy. His PSL season was disappointing too. No one probably imagined that the “King” Babar would face such a low point. Naturally, it must hurt his father the most.
This is the time when Azam Siddique should be guiding and encouraging his son, telling him to stay strong and keep working hard—this tough phase will pass. But it seems like the father himself is starting to lose hope, at least judging by his recent social media posts.
When Kamran Akmal, a seasoned cricketer with over 250 international matches, suggested that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan should focus only on Test cricket and step away from white-ball formats, he was well within his right to express an opinion. Several other former cricketers made similar remarks. However, since Babar’s father is the uncle of the Akmal brothers, he didn’t appreciate Kamran’s advice and responded with a lengthy social media post.
This led to a media frenzy over a “family feud” between uncle and nephew. It didn’t help anyone and only revealed frustration. Sadly, in our society, we elevate someone quickly and then waste no time dragging them down.
Babar earned global fame with his performance. Every player goes through a rough patch, but his father and brother shouldn’t fight critics for him. No tweet, news story, or fan support will bring him back into the team—only his bat can do that. Becoming a controversial figure won’t help. His father has become a “mini-celebrity” himself now, with thousands of followers on social media. Every time he posts something controversial, the media picks it up. But this fame is proving harmful rather than helpful.
Let the spotlight remain on Babar. Everyone understands a father’s concern, but he can’t do much himself—only Babar can return to form through hard work.
Social media has worsened the lives of criminals Cricketers. Many have made fortunes using Babar’s name—some now own properties abroad, others run YouTube channels profiting off his fame. Even a former Cricketer PCB chief used Babar’s popularity to cover his own flaws. These people elevated Babar to a brand, portraying him as a superhero as long as he kept scoring runs.
Now, when his bat has fallen silent, anyone on TV say, “Anyone can replace Babar.” He limited himself by trusting the wrong circle of people, not expanding his network. While Babar became a brand, others cashed in, moving from middle class to upper class.
Today, Babar stands isolated, with only his father visibly by his side. He’s changed his bat—now he should consider changing the people around him too. He should distance himself from the sycophants who once praised him to the skies. His father is no doubt sincere, but even he should step back from social media. Babar must also avoid confrontations with fans—like the recent viral video where he was seen arguing with them. In such situations, ignoring is always wiser.
Fans, too, should avoid provoking Babar and allow him to focus on his game. He should stay away from social media warriors who are now trying to pit him against players like Mohammad Haris and Salman Ali Agha.
“X unfollowed him,” or “Y didn’t mention his name”—getting caught up in such petty matters is pointless. Only performance can silence the critics, and everyone will witness that.
Unfortunately, Babar couldn’t seize the opportunity the recent PSL presented. Still, among the current generation of Pakistani cricketers, Babar Azam undoubtedly remains the best. He has done great things for the country, and he can continue to do so—but only if he refocuses on his game and blocks out the noise.
He needs to set ego aside, speak with former cricketers, and take their help in regaining form or he should have just gone to England, where the season is still ongoing. Azam Siddique must also understand that this isn’t a Bollywood film where one says, “Talk to the father before touching the son.” Even Shah Rukh Khan was deeply troubled when his son faced real-life issues.
Let’s not forget—Babar is the star, not his father. So instead of arguing with people on social media, his father should support Babar quietly. If not on a bicycle, then now in a Mercedes, take him to the ground where he can train and get back to being the Babar Azam we all admire.
