Babar Azam, the ex-captain of Pakistan, faced provocation during a Pakistan Super League match when a section of the crowd taunted him with ‘Zimbabar’ chants as seen in a viral video
Visibly agitated, Azam, who was seated on the sidelines with the technical staff, reacted strongly to the taunts and even went to the extent of threatening to hurl a filled water bottle at the group of fans.
Babar Azam mocked with Zimbabar chant during PSL 2024 match in Multan, video goes viral
Kalesh b/w Babar Azam And One of guy from Crowd over he was Calling him "Zimbabar" during PSL match
pic.twitter.com/mtR99WDmoW— Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) February 24, 2024
Azam Display Visible Frustration
The incident occurred during Azam’s tenure as the captain of Peshawar Zalmi in the league. Fortunately, Azam exercised good judgment and halted his actions midway, opting to take a seat in his chair.
The former captain of Pakistan displayed visible frustration due to the online harassment he faced from his fellow countrymen during the Pakistan Super League.
Babar Azam has proven to be a highly successful batsman for Pakistan since making his debut in 2015. Initially considered a potential successor to Virat Kohli on the global stage, significant expectations surrounded the Pakistani cricketer across all formats of the game.
However, over the past 2-3 years, Babar has earned an unfortunate reputation for underperforming in crucial matches for Pakistan while excelling in games that are either straightforward or hold no significant consequences.
What is the Meaning of Zimbabar?
Babar Azam has faced Zimbabwe in 18 matches across all formats, amassing a total of 693 runs with an impressive average of 57.75. The emergence of the “Zimbabar” chant stems from the belief that Babar tends to find his form and score runs when playing against Zimbabwe.
In 2023, Babar Azam experienced a challenging period across various formats. His captaincy during the Asia Cup and ODI World Cup resulted in a lackluster performance by the Pakistan side, ultimately leading to his removal as captain in all formats.
Following the ODI World Cup, Babar struggled to make a significant impact in the Australia Test series but showcased commendable performances in the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand on foreign soil.
As the T20 World Cup approaches in June, Babar Azam aims to silence his critics and deliver a strong response with his batting prowess.