Sports
Why Doesn’t the King Rule in Australia? | The Express Tribune
Former Pakistan Captain and Star batter Babar Azam. Photo: X
KARACHI:
It is never easy to step out of your comfort zone. You don’t really know how talented you might be until you bring change within yourself or explore new paths. Perhaps you could achieve greater success but there’s a certain fear that holds you back: What if I fail? You fear losing even what you already have. So, many people choose to settle for what they’ve got.
Maybe that’s why the growth of some talented individuals eventually stops. Of course, financial or personal factors make taking risks even harder. But if we look at the most successful people, most of them are those who did step out of their comfort zones, discovered their true selves, and changed their ways.
If we talk about cricket, the difference between the past and the present eras is like night and day. In the old days, there was only Test cricket, and it was considered the crown jewel of the sport. Then came One-Day Internationals money began to flow in, and players’ focus shifted toward it. Now, it’s the era of T20 cricket.
The new generation gives T20’s explosive players the same legendary status that fans of the past gave to Don Bradman. The only difference is the real Bradman is still remembered decades later, whereas the “Bradmans” of T20 fade from memory after a short while.
Today, players prefer to earn huge sums from a few hours of T20 rather than grind through long Test matches. Test cricket has fallen to the point where even a major cricketing nation like Pakistan plays only four or five matches a year.
Very few cricketers remain who can perform in all three formats, and even among those, many try to use their stardom to make themselves indispensable often to the detriment of their teams.
In the past, players used to say, “We play for the country and the nation.” Now, even that courtesy is gone. Today’s players happily abandon international cricket to earn dollars from leagues. Their justification is that international careers are short. If that’s really the case, then they shouldn’t use their national teams as a stepping stone they should sign with leagues from the start. But of course, that’s not possible.
Leagues have also become a way to shatter many superstars’ egos. At home, you’re treated like a hero and if competition isn’t strong, you can stay in the team for years even when out of form. But leagues are different. Franchises spend millions to hire the world’s best talent, and they expect performance in every match. If you don’t meet those expectations, you face situations you could never imagine in your home team.
That hurts your ego and sometimes, you react in ways no one expects.
Something like this happened in the Big Bash League (BBL). Usually, in the last over of an innings, a batter will refuse a single to protect the tail-ender and take the strike himself for the next over. Babar Azam has done that many times. But he probably never imagined someone would do the same to him.
Playing for the Sydney Sixers, he opened alongside Steve Smith who hadn’t played a T20 international for two years. On the last ball of the 11th over, Babar played a shot that offered a single, but Smith refused it. Babar looked visibly annoyed. In the next over, Smith smashed 32 runs proving his decision right. Babar, on the other hand, got out on 47 and, while walking off, hit his bat against the boundary rope in frustration.
Fans were stunned, and commentators found his reaction unexpected.
Babar scored 47 off 39 balls, while Smith reached a century off just three balls more a striking contrast between the two innings. Could anyone in the Pakistan team ever dare to act that way with Babar? Of course not.
Earlier, Melbourne Renegades’ captain had even called Mohammad Rizwan back from batting for playing too slowly.
We might find such treatment of our stars unacceptable, but let’s be honest does their batting really suit modern T20 cricket? Are our complaints justified?
Among all batters in the Big Bash, the lowest strike rates belong to these two.
Franchise cricket doesn’t tolerate this they pay you huge sums and expect results. The “king’s reign” works only at home; abroad, your ego doesn’t get the same royal treatment.
This is cricket but the same rule applies in life. At home, we still don’t have enough quality batters to replace Babar, so he’s back in T20s.
At home, you can talk however you like to your parents, but can you speak that way to your boss at work? Of course not.
Those who fail to adapt with time get left behind. Just look at the descendants of past emperors in India today their condition says it all.
We must look at the present, not live in the past. It’s wiser to leave your stardom and ego at home and focus on your work.
The real question is whether Babar still suits modern T20 cricket or whether he should now focus only on Tests and ODIs. The upcoming World Cup will give us the answer.
As for Rizwan, his T20 career seems practically over. Both have done great service for Pakistan, but they have always been criticized for slow batting in T20s and they didn’t make much effort to change themselves. They took things for granted.
Now, facing the world’s best in franchise leagues, their weaknesses are being exposed.
The Bangladesh league is so low in quality that even Haider Ali captains there. Some argue that if Babar and Rizwan had played there, they would’ve continued scoring runs against weak bowling and flat pitches. But in Australia, with world-class bowling and bouncy tracks, they’ve struggled.
Maybe they shouldn’t have gone to the Big Bash — but I don’t agree with that. Both are world-class batters and capable of performing anywhere.
The issue isn’t who they are it’s whether they can focus on what they can become.
There are still matches left they can still show their talent.
Just stop hitting your bat on the boundary rope and start hitting the ball. Only then will your team get runs, and your ego will find true satisfaction.
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President Donald Trump paid respects to late legendary football coach Lou Holtz Thursday after Holtz’s death Wednesday at the age of 89.
Trump shared a tribute to Holtz in a Truth Social post.
Former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz listens before being presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House in Washington, D.C., Dec, 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
“The wonderful Lou Holtz passed away yesterday, so sad. Lou was an absolute WINNER both on and off the field. Not only did he spearhead Notre Dame’s HISTORIC undefeated season in 1988 (including the legendary 31-30 ‘Catholics v. Convicts’ Victory against Miami), he raised Millions upon Millions for struggling student-athletes, and the AMAZING University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!),” Trump wrote.
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“He was also a true American Patriot, supporting me through thick and thin, and consistently speaking out against Democrat Insanity, including ‘Transgender for Everybody,’ and the Illegal Alien Invasion.
“It is for all this incredible work that I gave Lou Holtz our Nation’s Highest Civilian Honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Rest in Peace, Lou. Because of Patriots like you, we have made America GREAT AGAIN! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
Holtz was a known supporter of Trump, even saying in February 2024 that Trump needed to “coach America back to greatness!”
Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor.
“It’s the highest honor or award you could possibly receive, and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I’m humbled,” Holtz told “Fox & Friends” afterward. “There are many more people far worthy than me, I can assure you.
“Nobody is more appreciative than me. So, I’m excited to have this opportunity and, at the same time, I’m excited to receive it from President Trump. The president I admire and respect. I think he did a tremendous job.”
At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”
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President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz at the White House in Washington, D.C. Dec. 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), N.C. State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team he wasn’t able to accomplish the feat with was Minnesota, which he led from 1984-85.
Holtz finished his coaching career with a 249-132-7 record in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
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Harry Kane will miss Bayern Munich‘s game against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday with a calf injury in a blow to his hopes of breaking the Bundesliga record for most goals in a season.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said on Thursday the problem wasn’t serious but means Kane will play no part in Friday’s game, which could see Bayern open up a 14-point lead at the top of the table.
“He got a knock on his calf and hasn’t recovered yet,” Kompany said. “It’s nothing serious for the time being but we’d need maybe another a day for him to be involved. We’re pretty relaxed. Of course we would have liked Harry to be involved but these things happen.”
Kompany didn’t express concern Kane would miss Bayern’s visit to Atalanta in the Champions League round of 16 next week.
Kane has scored 30 goals in the Bundesliga and is 11 short of Robert Lewandowski‘s record of 41, with 10 games remaining.
Bayern will also be without Hiroki Ito and Alphonso Davies for Friday’s game, Kompany said.
Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions, have an 11-point lead at the top of the table after beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund 3-2 last Saturday.
“We’ve had an 11-point lead before and we know how quickly that can change,” said Kompany.
“We’re just looking at our performance and our victories. I looked at the table once after the game against Dortmund and it looked good. But after that, once again the only thing that mattered was Gladbach. It sounds like a cliche, but it’s a way of life for me.”
The Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.
An explosive half-century by in-form opener Sanju Samson, backed by a disciplined all-round bowling display, helped India secure a narrow seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The victory propelled India into the final, where they will be locking horns with New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Set to chase a daunting 254-run target, England could accumulate 246/7 in their 20 overs despite Jacob Bethell’s gutsy century.
England got off to a dismal start to the pursuit as they lost opener Phil Salt (five) and captain Harry Brook (seven) inside five overs with just 38 runs on the board.
Following the early dismissals, Bethell walked out to bat at No.4 and shared a 26-run partnership for the third wicket with Jos Buttler, who made a 17-ball 25 before falling victim to Varun Chakravarthy on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay.
England then suffered another setback to their run chase in the eighth over when Axar Patel cleaned up Tom Banton (17) after being hit for two consecutive sixes, and consequently slipped to 95/4.
Bethell then eventually received formidable support at the other end in the form of all-rounder Will Jacks, and the duo displayed grit to keep England in the hunt as they put together 77 runs off just 39 deliveries amid their fifth-wicket partnership, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal in the 14th over.
Jacks made a notable contribution for England in the run chase with a 20-ball 35, comprising four fours and two sixes.
Bethell then shared a 50-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Sam Curran, who fell victim to Hardik Pandya in the penultimate over after scoring a 14-ball 18.
England’s batting mainstay Bethell eventually got run out on the first delivery of the final over and walked back after top-scoring with a valiant 105 off 48 deliveries, featuring eight fours and seven sixes.
Pandya was the standout bowler for India, taking two wickets for 38 runs in his four overs, while Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah chipped in with one apiece.
England captain Harry Brook’s decision to field first backfired as the home side piled up 253/7 in their 20 overs.
India, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as their left-handed opener Abhishek Sharma (nine) was dismissed by Will Jacks in the second over with just 20 runs on the board.
The early setback, however, did not bother India as their top-order duo of Ishan Kishan and Samson raised 97 runs for the second wicket off 44 deliveries until Adil Rashid dismissed the former, who remained a notable contributor for the co-hosts with an 18-ball 39.
Samson was then involved in a 43-run partnership for the third wicket with all-rounder Shivam Dube until eventually falling victim to Jacks in the 14th over. He remained the top-scorer for India with a blazing 89 off 42 deliveries, studded with seven sixes and eight fours.
India suffered another major setback to their batting expedition an over later when Adil got their captain Suryakumar Yadav stumped, who could score 11 off six deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 190/4 in 15.4 overs, Dube was joined by fellow all-rounder Hardik Pandya in the middle, and the duo put together 32 runs for the fifth wicket before the former was run out due to a mix-up, coupled with a direct hit by England captain Brook.
Dube remained a significant run-getter for India in the high-stakes T20 World Cup 2026 fixture, scoring 43 off 25 deliveries with the help of four sixes and a four.
Following his departure, Pandya and Tilak Varma ensured an equally dominant finish with the bat for India with blistering cameos, contributing 27 and 21, respectively. The duo also shared a 24-run partnership.
For England, Jacks and Adil bagged two wickets each, while Archer could pick up one.
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