{
  "id": 4580667,
  "title": "Ex-Pakistan star takes brutal swipe at Babar Azam, calls him a 'great player only for social media,' not a match-winner",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/ex-pakistan-star-takes-brutal-swipe-at-babar-azam-calls-him-a-great",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-31T05:46:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/ex-pakistan-star-takes-brutal-054618729.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Pakistani cricketer Basit Ali delivered a harsh critique of Pakistan captain Babar Azam, stating that Azam is only a great player on social media, not a match-winner. This criticism came after Pakistan's 2-0 series loss to England in the Test match at Lord's. Basit argued that Babar's greatness is built primarily on fan support and social media presence, rather than his performance in crucial moments of the game. He mentioned players like Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Javed Miandad, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Younis Khan as those who have earned their legendary status through performance during times when Pakistan needed them the most. Basit also criticized Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan for their shot selection during the second innings, questioning the sense of Rizwan's last shot and Shakeel's five-fielders confrontation.",
  "summary": "Former Pakistan star launches a scathing attack on Babar Azam, questioning his credentials as a match-winner and claiming his greatness exists mainly on social media.",
  "key_points": [
    "Basit Ali harshly criticizes Babar Azam's match-winning abilities.",
    "Azam's greatness lies in social media presence, not crucial game moments.",
    "Basit highlights legendary players who excelled under pressure."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Basit's comments mark a public challenge to Babar Azam's status as a leading player, implying his reputation relies more on popularity than match-winning performances.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}