'Virat Kohli Aisa Shot Nahi Khelta...', Shoaib Malik On Babar Azam's Big WEAKNESS While Playing Spin

Babar Azam made fifty against South Africa. He was looking all set to reach the elusive three-figure mark. But a Tabraiz Shamsi delivery got rid of him as he attemped to play the sweep.

(Shoaib Malik analyses Babar's shot. Source: X)

Pakistan captain Babar Azam struck 50 off 65 balls before getting out to Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wrist spinner of South Africa, in Match 26 of Cricket World Cup 2023. This was a solid knock from Babar but the fans and he himself would have liked him to get a hundred. His  dismissal helped South Africa eventually bowling Pakistan out for just 270 inside 50 overs.

Babar, who had not played many sweep shows up till his dismissal, decided to play one and lost his wicket. The faint off edge of his bat went to keeper Quinton de Kock. At first, Babar could not even believe that he was out. That he had edged the ball. But the snicko had caught the slight noise.

#MoinKhan points out a technical error in #BabarAzam's sweep shot on which he lost his wicket against #TabraizShamsi.#ASportsHD #ARYZAP #ThePavilion #CWC23 #FakhreAlam #WasimAkram #ShoaibMalik #MisbahUlHaq #PAKvsSA pic.twitter.com/DyxuHI8ry9 — ASports (@asportstvpk) October 27, 2023

Former Pakistan wicketkeeper and batter Moin Khan, speaking to A Sports, said that Babar was not in line of the ball to hit the sweep. Moin said that it is important to come in line of the delivery to hit the sweep as only then would you be able to make the sweet connection from the middle of the bat. 

Shoaib Malik, who is also a part of the panel that was analysing the batting of Pakistan vs South Africa, said that while the technique could be wrong, but Babar should have stayed away from sweeping as this is not a shot that he plays often. 

Malik gave example of Virat Kohli, who too never plays sweeps but still makes tons of runs. The Pakistani batter said that Virat has also the shots in his arsenal but the sweep. And because he does not play the sweep that well, he never plays it in a cricket match to tackle the spinners. 

"If Babar had not swept before 50, then it was not required even after he crossed 50. We have never seen Virat play this shot. He backs his strengths to play spin... that was a mistake from Babar tactically. Don't play such shots if you don't play them regularly," said Malik.

Pakistan got bowled out below 300 again vs South Africa. They have cross the 300 mark only twice, vs Sri Lanka in a successful chase and then vs Australia when scored 305 in a big chase.