Navjot Singh Sidhu shares message for Pakistani fans amid criticism of Babar Azam

Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu shared a message for Pakistani cricket fans regarding their criticism of Babar Azam, who has struggled to deliver standout performances in recent matches.

While Babar has faced intense backlash, Sidhu disagreed with the criticism, calling for patience and support instead of condemnation.

During a program on an Indian sports channel, Sidhu shared an analogy about a military general whose king tied him to a tree and instructed people to throw stones at him. Despite being hit repeatedly, the general remained silent and did not cry.

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However, when the king later called upon the general’s comrades to throw stones at him, they hesitated and instead threw a flower. This time, the general broke down in tears.

When asked why he endured the stones without shedding a tear but cried when hit with a flower, the general replied: "The people who threw stones were strangers, but those who threw the flower were my own. Their betrayal hurt the most."

Sidhu used this story to emphasise how Babar Azam’s own countrymen turning against him could leave him feeling dejected and disheartened.

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"Babar is a human being, let him play. Even Virat Kohli had failed, and so has Babar. But he is a great player and a good human being. He has scored so many runs for you. Learn to respect your heroes instead of throwing stones at them," Sidhu urged.

Earlier, Babar Azam was criticised for his slow-paced innings during the Champions Trophy opening match against New Zealand . He scored 64 runs off 90 balls at a strike rate of 71.7, playing 52 dot balls, which many believed put pressure on the team’s chase.

He also failed to perform well against and India and Pakistan suffered its first loss in the form of Babar Azam for 41 runs, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya's ball after scoring 23 runs on 26 balls.