Babar Azam's attempt to get his batting back on track produced a laborious half-century and a promising start in his two innings of the ICC Champions Trophy, where the team continued with him as an opener. But Pakistan's defeat in both the matches to get eliminated from the race to the semis made the criticism of his batting more scathing.
The ex-Pakistan captain scored 64 off 90 balls while the hosts chased 321 against New Zealand. The defeat led to sharp criticism of Babar's approach. He then produced a more promising 23 off 26 balls against India but failed to kick on in the six-wicket defeat that put the defending champions out of the tournament.
