In the ongoing first Test between Pakistan and England, a video of Shaheen Afridi mocking his teammate Babar Azam has gone viral on social media. In the footage, Shaheen repeatedly uses the term 'Zimbu'. The nickname 'Zimbabar' or simply 'Zimbu,' has become popular among fans who often criticise Babar for his performances against weaker teams. This mocking sentiment seems to have made its way into the Pakistan team’s dressing room as well.
Recently, Shaheen Afridi lost his captaincy ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024, with Babar resuming the role. Following Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the tournament and Babar’s subsequent resignation from white-ball captaincy, rumors of tension between the two players have emerged. As of now, the Pakistan Cricket Board has yet to announce Babar's successor as captain.
Babar’s Struggles with Form
Babar Azam is currently facing challenges with his batting, especially in Test cricket. He has struggled to reach triple digits in the longest format. In the current Test against England, he scored 30 and 5 in his two innings, missing out on an opportunity to score big on flat pitch.
Pakistan’s looks to avoid innings defeat
Pakistan finds itself on the brink of defeat, with England establishing a commanding 267-run lead after their first innings. With the team currently at 152-6, Pakistan needs another 115 runs to avoid an innings defeat on the final day. For Pakistan Salman Agha is currently the top scorer with 41* in second innings so far. For England Brydon Carse and Gus Atkinson picked dup 2 wickets apiece.
England’s strong performance was highlighted by significant contributions from Harry Brook and Joe Root, who scored 317 and a record-setting 262, respectively, in their massive total of 823-7 declared.
