Pakistan’s captain, Babar Azam, is enduring a concerning slump in One-Day Internationals. After being dismissed for a three-ball duck in the second ODI against the West Indies, his century drought has now stretched across 711 days and 28 innings. His most recent ton—a commanding 151—came against Nepal in the Asia Cup back in August 2023.
Statistically, the drought is glaring. Since that Asia Cup hundred, Babar has accumulated 929 runs at an average of 37.16, with a strike rate of approximately 79.5%. While those numbers aren’t bad per se, they fall significantly short of his established career benchmarks, where he has historically averaged in the mid-50s and maintained a higher strike rate, underlining the drop in both consistency and impact.
In the recent match, Babar’s dismissal came via a tidy delivery from Jayden Seales in the ninth over. There was no middle-order woe or collapse—it was an underwhelming exit that added fuel to growing concerns about his inability to convert starts into big scores. While nine half-centuries since his last hundred is not negligible, the absence of a three-figure knock is impossible to ignore for a batter of his pedigree.
The fan reaction has been blunt and unforgiving. Memes, snarky quips like “No Nepal, No Party for Babar Azam,” and intense scrutiny on social media reflect the frustration of those who have grown accustomed to Babar producing match-winning centuries with ease. The pressure is no longer abstract—it’s a tangible, looming concern for both the player and the team.
This slump is particularly problematic because of Pakistan’s reliance on Babar at No. 3, a position where he is expected to anchor innings and marshal the middle overs. With Pakistan’s middle order lacking depth and stability, his failures to convert could be destabilizing for the entire batting unit.
To appreciate the gravity of this drought: Babar has previously amassed 19 ODI centuries in just 128 innings, putting him just one shy of Saeed Anwar’s national record. At this rate, not only is he slipping from that milestone, but the drought also risks blurring his abilities as a consistent match-winner in the format.
Looking ahead, Pakistan’s schedule holds high-stakes matches, including further fixtures in the West Indies series and potentially key tournaments. These matches are thrusting Babar into an uncomfortably high-pressure zone, where every innings becomes a referendum not only on form but on his ability to handle scrutiny and expectations.
Only time will tell if Babar can break this century drought. A few well-timed innings, especially against quality attacks, could restore his confidence—and Pakistan’s faith in him. But prolonging the drought risks dimming the aura of the batter who has consistently raised the bar in the white-ball era. The ball is in his court—and how he plays over the next few matches could define not just a tournament, but potentially the latter half of his ODI legacy.