Umar Akmal claims he helped Babar Azam beat spin challenges

Batter Umar Akmal has made a surprising claim about helping star Pakistan batter Babar Azam overcome his struggles against spin bowlers.

The right-handed batter has been facing scrutiny over his struggles against spinners as most of his dismissals came against such bowlers in recent months.

Several former cricketers also raised concerns over Babar Azam’s limited range of shots against spinners.

Amid his struggles against spinners, wicketkeeping batter Umar Akmal has recalled giving advice to the former Pakistan batter on how to tackle spin.

During a recent interview with a private TV channel, Akmal recalled an instance when Babar Azam approached him for help in overcoming his spin struggles.

“I remember clearly that he was struggling against spinners. He was getting out at midwicket, so he came to me and said, ‘Umar bhai, I’m struggling a little,’” Umar Akmal said.

“I asked him about his bat grip and advised him that when the spinner approaches, he should change his grip and watch the ball until the halfway point. Then he could either cut it or hit it in a way that wouldn’t be flat,” Umar Akmal added.

Babar Azam, once known the best against spinners for averaging 82.1 against them till the end of 2021, has averaged around 48 since then.

In 2023, the former Pakistan captain played at a strike rate of 77.7 against spin, which fell to 68.4 the following year.

His strike rate dropped to just 60.3 in 2025 while he has been dismissed 20 times to spin in his last 39 innings.