Babar Azam believes that it is important for players to support each other during tough times. He expressed this sentiment when he publicly posted the message, "This too shall pass," for Virat Kohli on social media, aiming to show empathy towards his on-field rival and wish him success. According to Azam, there is a shared understanding among professional athletes, and it is crucial to stand by each other in times of difficulty.
In the midst of a prolonged period of poor performance for Kohli, Babar tweeted in July of last year. Kohli had recently scored only 16 runs and India faced a 100-run defeat against England in an ODI, and he had not achieved an international century since his 136 against Bangladesh in November 2019.
From his last century until that England ODI, Kohli had scored 806 ODI runs at an average of 36.68 and averaged just 27.25 in Test cricket during the same period. Asked how he actually came about supporting Kohli, who plays for Pakistan's cricketing adversary India, Babar said that as a sportsperson one must back other players in tough times.
"As a sportsperson, anyone can go through such a time. At that time I thought maybe if I tweet it might give someone help and confidence. See, as a player, you try to back every sportsman in a difficult time. It is in difficult times when you get to know what you are thinking about others. At that time, I thought I should have done that and maybe something positive will come out of it. Something which can be a plus point," Babar told ICC Digital.
The former India skipper had also acknowledged Babar's support on Twitter. "Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best," wrote Kohli.
After a period of struggle, Virat Kohli regained his form in white ball cricket with a remarkable performance. In September 2022, he scored an unbeaten 122 against Afghanistan, and since then, he has recorded three ODI hundreds. Additionally, in a memorable performance, he scored 82 not out at Melbourne, leading his team to a classic victory over Pakistan, led by Babar Azam, in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022.
(Inputs PTI)
