Former Pakistan captain calls to support Babar, Rizwan amid challenges

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has urged fans to rally behind national batters Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam during a challenging period for Pakistan cricket. While speaking to a digital platform, Butt emphasized the need for a performance-oriented approach within the national team and stated that criticism should be fair and constructive, rather than personal.

“It’s not about Babar and Rizwan. It is about any player in the world. The national team is a performance-oriented place. Those players who perform will be appreciated, and those who don’t will face criticism,” Butt explained.

He further added, “The criticism should be constructive, and it shouldn’t be that you come on someone and start picking on them.”

Butt acknowledged the significant contributions of both Babar and Rizwan to Pakistan cricket, but also highlighted the need for constant improvement. He emphasized that players must work on their weaknesses and continue to evolve. 

“Babar and Rizwan have done great service for Pakistan. It is also important to highlight where they are lacking and it is also important for them to upgrade themselves, and this is for every player in the world,” he concluded.

Recently, both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have faced criticism as they struggled to lift the team out of difficult situations. Under Rizwan’s captaincy, Pakistan suffered an early exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, a major international event that was hosted in Pakistan for the first time in 29 years. 

Following the disappointment in the Champions Trophy, Pakistan's white-ball tour to New Zealand proved equally challenging. The Men in Green not only lost the T20I series 4-1 but were also whitewashed 3-0 in the ODI series. 

Throughout the tour, Pakistan was outplayed in all formats, with Babar Azam, despite scoring two fifties in the ODI series, unable to lead his team to victory.