"I Was Joking": Wasim Akram Pokes Fun at Babar Azam's Slow Knock with Hilarious Remark
Summary: Wasim Akram playfully mocks Babar Azam’s slow innings in Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand in the Champions Trophy 2025 opener. Read how the legend turned his own advice into a joke!
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy 2025 campaign got off to a rough start with a 60-run defeat against New Zealand, and much of the criticism was directed at skipper Babar Azam for his slow-paced innings. Chasing a challenging 321-run target, Pakistan struggled in the first 10 overs, managing only 22 runs while losing two wickets. Babar, who scored 64 off 90 balls, came under fire for failing to accelerate when the team needed aggressive intent.
Wasim Akram’s Playful Jab at Babar Azam
Legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram, who had earlier advised Babar to bat long without worrying about strike rate, took a humorous U-turn after the match. Appearing on the post-match show of Sports Central, Akram referenced an old joke to poke fun at Babar’s approach:
“There’s a joke where a man argues with his wife, storms out of the house, and yells ‘I want to die!’ But when God actually listens and takes his life, the man says, ‘I was joking! Why did you take it seriously?’”
“Just like that, I was joking about my statement regarding Babar. Why did he take it so seriously?”
Akram’s joke quickly went viral, with fans and experts echoing his frustration over Babar’s lack of urgency during the chase.
Babar’s Slow Start and Pakistan’s Struggles
Babar reached his half-century in 81 balls, maintaining a sluggish strike rate of 61.7—far from ideal in a high-pressure chase. His innings was particularly passive between the 16th and 32nd overs, where he failed to score a single boundary.
By the time Pakistan attempted to recover with explosive knocks from Salman Ali Agha (42 off 28 balls) and Khushdil Shah (69 off 49 balls), the damage had already been done. The slow start and Babar’s inability to shift gears ultimately left Pakistan with too much to do in the final overs.
Akram’s Honest Assessment
Beyond the jokes, Akram didn’t hold back his true feelings about the underwhelming performances of Pakistan’s senior players.
“Look, if you want me to be brutally honest, I can be. In our culture, we say ‘these are our kids, don’t criticize them,’ but these are our best players. If there was someone better than them, they would’ve been selected.”
With Pakistan already on the back foot in the tournament, the spotlight remains on Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to step up in the upcoming matches. The team will need a more aggressive approach if they are to bounce back from this disappointing loss.
Would Babar heed Akram’s “joking” advice in the next game? Fans and critics alike will be watching closely.
