Babar said he isn’t 'King' yet and would prefer to see what people call him after retirement.
This tag was given to Babar a few years ago when he was scoring runs consistently. However, it has come to haunt him lately due to an extended lean patch, with some former cricketers using the same to taunt him.
Notably, Babar has been under the scanner for his failure to play a significant knock in the last couple of years. His last international century came against Nepal in August 2023.
“Pehli baat toh ye King-Shing karna, bolna zara kam karein (Firstly, stop calling me a king)," Babar said.
“I’m not a king yet. Let’s see what people call me when I retire. Opening is a new role for me, and I’ve taken on this responsibility as per the team’s needs," he added.
Babar has been given the responsibility to open the innings in the ongoing tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand and the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy. Usually a No. 3 batter in the 50-over format, the right-hander is filling in for the injured opener Saim Ayub.
However, Babar failed to make a mark at the top of the order in the two matches, returning with scores of 10 and 23 against New Zealand and South Africa respectively.
“What I’ve done before is in the past. If I keep dwelling on previous performances, I won’t perform in the future. Every day is a new challenge with a new plan. Successfully chasing big totals like today boosts our confidence. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to finish the innings, but Rizwan and Salman played brilliantly today. Performances like these lift the team’s confidence," Babar said.
Babar Azam will now look to make amends in the tri-series final against New Zealand, scheduled for February 14 in Karachi.
Pakistan will begin their Champions Trophy campaign with the tournament opener against New Zealand in Lahore on February 19.