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[Saba Sports News] During a Pakistan Super League (PSL) match between Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans at Multan Cricket Stadium, Babar Azam found himself the target of ‘Zimbabar’ chants from the crowd.
A video capturing Babar’s frustrated reaction to these chants has been widely circulated on social media. The footage showed Babar, alongside Peshawar Zalmi’s support staff, visibly annoyed by spectators taunting him with the nickname, to the point where he appeared ready to throw a water bottle in response. He ultimately refrained from doing so, and it was later discovered that the audio of the chants was artificially added to the video.
The ‘Zimbabar’ nickname emerged from criticism that Babar tends to perform well in matches of less significance, particularly against teams like Zimbabwe, where his record is notably strong. Despite this criticism, Babar Azam’s skill and contributions to cricket remain undisputed, with some fans and analysts drawing comparisons between him and cricket legend Virat Kohli.
In the 2024 PSL season, Peshawar Zalmi recorded their first victory by defeating Multan Sultans by five runs, marking Multan’s initial loss of the tournament. Peshawar set a target of 180 runs, with Babar contributing 31 runs off 26 balls.
The match concluded in a nail-biting finish, with Naveen-ul-Haq securing two crucial wickets in the final moments to ensure a win for Peshawar with Multan falling short at 174 runs.