Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria has claimed that Babar Azam plays for himself and focusses on stats when he is playing under pressure. Babar was heavily criticised for his slow batting in the first match against New Zealand.

Danish Kaneria, a former spinner from Pakistan, has criticised Babar Azam, saying that the great batsman plays for himself and concentrates on maintaining his ICC ranking and stats. When Pakistan was chasing 321 runs to defeat New Zealand in the inaugural Champions Trophy 2025 match,

Mohammad Rizwan has confirmed that Babar Azam will be Pakistan's opening batsman in the upcoming Champions Trophy. The announcement comes ahead of Pakistan's match against New Zealand on Wednesday, February 19, at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.