[Watch] Babar Azam reacts furiously to 'ZimBabar' chants from the Multan Crowd in PSL 2024 clash

Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam lost his cool after being angered by chants of 'ZimBabar' from a section of the crowd in Multan. The incident transpired during the PSL 2024 clash between the Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi in Multan on February 23.

Babar was seated on the sidelines with the support staff and reacted with fury upon hearing the insulting chants, leading him to threaten to throw a water bottle at them. Fortunately, Babar stopped short and held himself back.

Here is a video of the unfortunate incident that seemingly riled up Babar Azam:

In the match, Babar Azam scored a modest 31 off 26 deliveries in Peshawar's 179/8 in 20 overs. In reply, the home side were bowled out for 174 to suffer a five-run defeat.

The result saw Peshawar register their first win of the tournament in three outings, while the loss was Multan's first after a hat-trick of wins. Babar has been in sparkling form thus far this season, scoring 171 runs at an average of 57 and a strike rate of 143.69.

He will be back in action when the Peshawar Zalmi takes on two-time defending champions Lahore Qalandars on Sunday, February 25.

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Why Babar Azam was called 'ZimBabar'?

Babar has been consistently accused of piling up the runs against weaker opposition.

Despite being among the best batters in the world, Babar Azam has earned the reputation of accumulating runs against minnows and failing in matches involving the top-ranked teams.

Especially since being marked as the closest rival to Indian superstar Virat Kohli, fans have tended to call him 'ZimBabar'. It is predominantly due to his outstanding numbers against Zimbabwe and as a cheeky dig of indirectly indicating how most of his runs have come against the lesser-ranked sides.

The 29-year-old has scored 693 runs across formats against Zimbabwe in 18 matches at an average of 57.75 with two centuries and five half-centuries. The home series in 2020 was essentially the start of the 'ZimBabar' chants, with the batter scoring four consecutive half-centuries, including a three-figure score.

Yet, the accusation could be interpreted as a misconception, with Babar's overall numbers not too dissimilar to the ones against Zimbabwe. In an almost decade-long career, the champion batter has amassed over 13,000 runs across formats at an average of 48.45 with 31 centuries in 278 games.

While even his overall numbers in marquee tournaments like the World Cup are impressive, his inability to win Pakistan any major tournament or series of note has fans often questioning his overall impact.