Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has urged the media and his countless fans on social media to stop calling him the ‘King’. Following Hasan Ali’s infamous interview wherein he disclosed what Babar's teammates call him inside the dressing room, the star batter requested everyone to stop referring to him as the ‘King’.

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Babar was among the top batters across formats some time ago, but his performances dipped massively in the past few years. Though he had been among runs, scoring bits and pieces, his last international hundred came against Nepal in August 2023 during the Asia Cup.

During the just concluded South Africa One-Dayer in Karachi, Babar departed on 23, while against New Zealand in the tri-series opener, he scored ten while opening the innings.  

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“Please stop calling me King. I am not King; I am not there yet. There are new roles for me now. Whatever I have done before is in the past. Every match is a fresh challenge, and I must focus on the present and future,” Babar said in a chat with the media after the South Africa ODI, which Pakistan won by six wickets, completing their highest-successful run chase.

Pakistan reached the finals of this tri-series (thanks to a thumping win), with Babar praising the batting duo that completed their respective hundreds.

While the skipper Mohammad Rizwan remained unbeaten on 122, Salman Agha’s maiden ODI hundred (134) helped Pakistan beat the Proteas and seal the final date with New Zealand on Friday in Karachi.

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“The team had a plan, and I stuck to it. Agha and Rizwan played brilliantly today,” he added.

No reprise for Babar

Meanwhile, Babar has had a topsy-turvy past 15 months, wherein he failed to lead Pakistan to the 2023 ODI World Cup semis despite playing in favourable conditions. Later, the PCB removed him as the ODI captain, only for them to reappoint him as the white-ball skipper for the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Americas, where the Men in Green got knocked out in the Group Stage itself. 

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The repercussions followed as the board removed him again, appointing gloveman Rizwan as the new T20I and ODI captain. However, even that did not help Babar regain any form, as he struggled in home and away conditions across formats.

With the home Champions Trophy just around the corner (starting Feb 19), Pakistan will bank on Babar to hit top form at the right time, helping them defend their title. 

(With inputs from agencies)