Babar Azam failed to live up to the expectations as a batter and captain in the 2023 edition of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India.

The Pakistan skipper came into the showpiece tournament as a No. 1 ODI batter but couldn’t do justice with the numero uno tag. In nine innings, the right-hander amassed 320 runs at an average of 40 and a strike rate of 82.90.

Babar also came under the scanner for his captaincy as Pakistan failed to qualify for the World Cup semis after losing five out of nine matches.

After the World Cup debacle, Babar Azam stepped down as Pakistan captain in all formats of the game and former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels it is a good move.

“You’ll see the best of Babar Azam now. You will see a completely different Babar Azam. Before the World Cup, I picked Babar as the batter of the tournament. But the pressure of captaincy hampered his form with the bat. It’s because when you are the skipper and your team isn’t performing well, you can imagine how much pressure he was under,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

According to Gambhir, Babar has the potential to finish as the best batter produced by Pakistan ever.

“You will see the actual Babar Azam that no one has seen. From now until the day he retires, you will see his actual ability. Babar has so much quality that he can go out and become the best batter Pakistan has ever produced. He has got 10 years with no pressure of captaincy,” he added.

Babar Azam will be next seen in action during Pakistan’s three-match Test tour of Australia, starting December 14 in Perth.