"Footballers around the world speak their own language" - Twitterati slam Shoaib Akhtar for his remarks on Babar Azam's English

Babar Azam (L) and Shoaib Akhtar (R). (Pics: Twitter)
Babar Azam (L) and Shoaib Akhtar (R). (Pics: Twitter)

Former Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar recently stated that skipper Babar Azam hasn't been able to establish himself as a big brand due to his poor communication skills.

In an interview with Suno News, Akhtar spoke about how several Pakistani players, including Babar Azam, appeared uneasy when they came for interviews. He opined that if cricketers cannot manage the media, they won't be able to express themselves on television.

Speaking of Babar's English, Akhtar remarked:

"I want to openly say that Babar Azam should be the biggest brand in Pakistan, but why hasn't he become the biggest brand in Pakistan? Because he can’t speak."

A number of fans took to social media to react to Akhtar's comments on Babar. While a few fans echoed the same sentiments as the former cricketer, many disagreed. Here are some of the reactions on Twitter:

Meanwhile, Babar is captaining Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2023). The side have secured two wins from their first three matches. They currently occupy the second position in the points table.

Babar has mustered 96 runs from three outings and at an average of 32.00. He has a decent strike rate of 133.33 to his name.


"If Babar Azam can improve his strike rate, he can be counted among the great batters of world cricket" - Shoaib Akhtar

In the same interview, Shoaib Akhtar went on to state that he considered Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar to be the greatest batter in the history of cricket. He noted that the likes of Ricky Ponting, Brian Lara and Virat Kohli are other names who are in the category of batting greats.

The 47-year-old also mentioned that Babar Azam can reach the same level as them, given that he is able to improve his strike rate. Akhtar added:

"Sachin Tendulkar is the finest player in history. Sachin, Lara, Ponting and Kohli are great players, and Babar is coming along too. If Babar can improve his strike rate, he can be counted among the great batters of world cricket."

While Babar has been under the scanner for his strike rate in white-ball cricket, he has been one of the top performers for the Men in Green in recent years. He starred with the bat in 2022 and was adjudged the ICC Men's ODI Player of the Year while also winning the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year Award.

Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️

Quick Links

Edited by Ritwik Kumar