“Babar Azam looks ordinary, and that hurts”: Harsha Bhogle expresses his disappointment on Pakistan Cricket’s decline

Renowned Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle has delivered a brutally honest assessment of Pakistan’s recent struggles, expressing concern over the visible dip in form of two of the country’s biggest cricketing icons — Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Speaking after Pakistan’s latest outing, Bhogle admitted that watching Babar look “ordinary” was disappointing for cricket fans across the globe.

“I’ve been an admirer over the years of Babar Azam,” Bhogle said. “It doesn’t matter which team you’re playing for — when a great player looks ordinary, it makes you feel bad. And I’m afraid Babar Azam looked ordinary.”

Bhogle suggested that Babar appears mentally conflicted about his approach in T20 cricket. According to him, the elegant right-hander may be struggling to balance his natural classical style with the aggressive demands of modern T20 batting.

“I just wonder whether he’s caught in two minds,” Bhogle remarked. “Should he play the game that comes naturally to him — that beautiful, easy-flowing classical game — or should he try to stay relevant in T20 cricket by playing shots that make him lose shape? As a result of that confusion, he played an ugly shot. And Babar Azam and ugly don’t work together.”

The veteran commentator also reflected on how perceptions around Pakistan’s key match-winners have changed in recent times. He revealed that not long ago, he would have considered Babar and Shaheen as the two biggest threats in Pakistan’s lineup.

“If you had asked me some time ago who the two key opposition players were, I would have said Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi,” Bhogle said. “But I no longer feel that way. And today was vindication of that.”

Bhogle did not hold back in his evaluation of Shaheen’s bowling either, stating that the left-arm pacer appears to be a shadow of his former self.

“Shaheen Shah Afridi really looks a shadow of himself as a bowler,” he observed.

According to Bhogle, the lack of impact from these two premier players has created a visible gap within the Pakistan setup.

“Without these two great players contributing, there just seems to be a void in that Pakistan team,” he added.

He further pointed to what he described as the decline of Shadab Khan, suggesting that Pakistan currently have “far too many places to fill” if they are to return to their dominant best.

Bhogle’s remarks have sparked debate among fans, as Pakistan look to rediscover stability and consistency in the fast-evolving landscape of modern T20 cricket.