PAK vs SA: Babar Azam Being Compared to Sachin Tendulkar During Day 1 of Pakistan vs South Africa Test
Fans in Lahore groaned when Shan Masood survived, revealing how desperately they wanted to see Babar Azam bat.
Lahore witnessed a strange but telling moment during the first Test between Pakistan and South Africa, one that perfectly captured how deeply Babar Azam is adored in his country.
When Shan Masood survived a dropped chance in the 38th over, the crowd didn’t cheer. Instead, a collective groan echoed around the stadium.
The reason wasn’t hard to guess once the TV commentary caught an interesting exchange between Shaun Pollock and Bazid Khan.
“Baz, they’re Pakistan supporters. Why are they disappointed?” Pollock asked in surprise. Bazid replied with a smile, “You haven’t seen the scorecard. Who comes next?” Pollock instantly got it — “Ah, it’s like when Sachin used to bat.”
That short chat said more than a thousand words. Lahore wasn’t upset at Masood’s luck, they were upset because his wicket would have brought Babar Azam to the middle. For them, Babar walking in is an event.
It reminded everyone of the old days in India, when fans used to wait just to watch Sachin Tendulkar bat. Even Rahul Dravid or Sourav Ganguly’s dismissals were sometimes met with cheers because they paved the way for Sachin’s entry.
Babar has reached that same pedestal in Pakistan. Even though runs have been scarce lately, his aura remains untouched. When Babar walks out to bat, the noise grows, the phones come out, and the stadium seems fuller.
