Babar Azam's struggles continued with the bat, as the star Pakistan batter had a nightmare outing in the second ODI against the West Indies, falling for a three-ball duck at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium in Tarouba on Sunday, August 10.
Chasing early momentum after missing out on the fifty in the three-match ODI series opener, Babar Azam was dismissed by Jayden Seales with a sharp delivery that sneaked through his defense and crashed into the stumps inside the powerplay.
Babar Azam falls for a three-ball duck in the 2nd ODIHis latest failure has further added to the growing concerns over his form. The 30-year-old has not scored a century since his impressive knock of 151 runs against Nepal in August 2023 in international cricket. Since then, Babar's struggles have been continuous across the formats.
In a rain-curtailed 37-over contest, Pakistan managed to post only 171/7 on the board while batting first. Captain Mohammad Rizwan had a tough day, crawling to 16 off 38 balls before departing, as no batter in the Pakistan line-up managed to touch the 40-run mark.
After the West Indies successfully chased down the target, Babar faced heavy criticism for his cheap outing with the bat in the second ODI. Many fans expressed frustration over the former Pakistani skipper's inability to deliver on social media.
Some fans have been trolling Babar for his ability to score only against minnows like Nepal and Zimbabwe , while some are concerned over his downfall.
Here's how fans slam Babar Azam for his poor run of form:West Indies fight back to level ODI series against PakistanMeanwhile, the West Indies held their nerve to complete a composed chase against Pakistan in a rain-hit second ODI. They chased down a revised target of 181 in 35 overs with five wickets in hand. Earlier, Pakistan posted 171/7 in 37 overs after multiple rain delays.
Chasing the target, the West Indies initially appeared to be in control at 101/3 after 18 overs. But they slipped to 111/5 in the 24th over, losing their in-form batter Sherfane Rutherford. He looked dangerous, smashing 45 off just 33 balls with three towering sixes and four boundaries.
At that moment, Pakistan tightened the field and pushed for breakthroughs, but Roston Chase 49 and Justin Greaves 28 had other plans. The duo rotated strike with ease, punished anything loose, and stitched an unbeaten 77-run partnership for the sixth wicket to not only end Pakistan's hopes but also wrap up the match with five wickets in hand on Sunday.
Mohammad Nawaz and Hasan Ali each scalped two wickets for Pakistan in the second ODI. Now, the ongoing ODI series is tied at 1-1, with the third and final ODI scheduled for August 12 in Tarouba.