Peshawar Zalmi head coach, Ottis Gibson, has come out strongly in support of Babar Azam as Pakistan’s star batsman prepares for the upcoming Pakistan Super League 2026 (PSL 2026). Babar Azam is under immense pressure after Pakistan’s early exit from the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Many criticized the former Pakistan captain for his slow strike rate and not adapting to the demands of the modern style. Later, Babar lost his place in Pakistan’s white-ball teams.
However, ahead of PSL 2026, Gibson insisted that Babar does not need any special technical changes. He believes that the real problem is the immense pressure coming from outside, especially from social media. Babar is trolled daily for his strike rate and run-scoring and Gibson feels this negativity is affecting his confidence even before he takes the field.
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“I don’t think he needs to focus on anything specific right now. However, what worries me is the pressure coming from outside – especially social media. He is constantly criticized for not scoring enough runs, strike rate and many other things. If he brings all the negativity on the field, it will naturally affect his game,” Ottis Gibson was quoted as saying by Pakistani media during an online interaction.
Turn off the noise: Peshawar from Zalmikoach to Babar
The former West Indies coach wants Babar to shut out all external noise and focus only on practice and preparation. Gibson continued, “If there’s one piece of advice I want to give her before I even meet her, it’s this: Turn off the noise.
Don’t let social media or outside opinions distort your mindset. Focus on your practice, your preparation and your role in the team. If you are a opening batsman, prepare with the new ball, work on partnerships and understand match conditions. He doesn’t need me to come and teach him how to bat – he already knows it.”
Gibson inspires Babar to get back to his fearless old self
Gibson’s key advice for Babar is to free his mind and try to reconnect with the fearless mindset he had when he first started playing. Now, the coach’s simple aim is to bring back the best version of Babar.
He signed off by saying, “He needs to free himself of the mental burden and reconnect with the mentality he started with as a young player.
If he can rediscover that spirit, that freshness, that fearlessness, the extraordinary cricketer within him will emerge again. My job – along with Misbah and the entire support staff – is just to help him get back to that version of himself.
PZ head coach Ottis Gibson on Babar Azam.
“We just need Babar Azam to bat the way he did as a young debutant and feel that passion again. I’m sure there’s an excellent cricketer out there.” pic.twitter.com/yfjbxofBz6
-Salman. (@TsMeSalman) 24 March 2026
Peshawar Zalmi squad for PSL 2026:
Babar Azam (captain), Abdul Samad, Mirza Tahir Baig, James Vince, Najibullah Zadran, Iftikhar Ahmed, Aamir Jamal, Aaron Hardy, Michael Bracewell, Khalid Usman, Umair Afridi, Mohammad Haris, Kusal Mendis, Sufiyan Mukeem, Ali Raza, Khurram Shahzad, Nahid Rana, Kashif Ali, Abdul Subhan, Tymal Mills.
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