Pakistan superstar batter Babar Azam, despite having gone through a challenging phase with the bat, has expressed his determination to represent Pakistan across all three formats of the game. Over the past few years, Babar has been the backbone of Pakistan's batting line-up. However, recent months have been greatly challenging for him after he experienced a dip in form, particularly at the T20I World Cup earlier this year.
In the wake of his struggle to get runs, Babar also received a lot of flak. Meanwhile, he made a stunning comeback, rediscovering his form in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026, where he captained Peshawar Zalmi to the title win on Sunday in Lahore following a five-wicket win over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final. His return to form was marked by a series of tremendous performances, including two centuries. Moreover, he finished as the tournament's leading run-scorer.
"My focus is on all three formats. It's not for the player to decide a player's job is to play. I think every player should play all forms of cricket. A player shouldn't focus only on the white ball or T20s. Red-ball cricket gives you experience. It teaches you how to build an innings and gives you patience," Babar said while addressing the press after Zalmi's title win.
Babar admitted that he could not perform up to the expectations in the past, but he remained resolute in his efforts to bounce back.
"As far as batting is concerned, I failed to deliver as per my expectations. These things happen sometimes; you can't execute according to your plan. You make all efforts, but things don't fall in your favour. You have to take two steps back and assess where you are going wrong and correct it. I have done this. You need support in such times, and my family and close friends motivated me a lot. I also had discussions with my close coaches and worked on areas of improvement."
"Things keep moving like a rollercoaster, and there is never a stable stage. You learn from your good and bad experiences, and that is how life goes," he said.