In a world of cricket, pressure comes with the territory. But when that pressure starts spilling over into memes, mockery, and mental strain, someone needs to speak up. And that someone, this time, is none other than Babar Azam.
The former Pakistan captain recently took a stand for his teammate and close friend Mohammad Rizwan, whose now-famous phrase “win or learn” has become the latest punchline for social media trolls.
The Phrase That Sparked a Meme Storm
Let’s rewind. After one of Pakistan’s recent losses, Rizwan, ever the optimist, said,
“It’s not win or lose — it’s win or learn.”
It was a simple, positive message — the kind you’d expect from a player known for his resilience and calm demeanour. But instead of embracing the intent, parts of the internet turned it into a meme fest, often poking fun at Rizwan’s English.
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Babar Azam Bites Back: “It’s Always Our Own”
In an honest and heartfelt chat on the Peshawar Zalmi YouTube channel, Babar Azam opened up about the toxicity that’s crept into online discussions.
“Who created this? This was created by our own,” Babar pointed out, clearly disheartened. “It’s always our own who are busy pulling each other down.”
Rather than rallying behind players who are trying to stay positive during tough times, fans (and let’s be real, some media too) often jump at the chance to ridicule.
According to Babar, Rizwan’s words came from a deeper, more motivational place. But social media, as it often does, stripped away the context and focused on the punchline.
“If he [Rizwan] said something from a different perspective, you can interpret and present it however you want,” Babar said, highlighting how quickly narratives can get twisted.
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Mental Health: The Elephant in the Room
Babar Azam didn’t stop at just defending his friend. He took the opportunity to spotlight a much bigger issue in Pakistan’s sports culture — the lack of mental health awareness.
“In Pakistan, there is no concept of mental health, nor is there any work being done on it, while foreign players give mental health a lot of importance,” he said.
And he didn’t sugarcoat the public’s role either. “Here, if someone is falling, we just keep pushing them down — and make memes out of them,” he added.
Despite the trolling, Babar praised Rizwan for his unshakable faith and mental toughness.
“He is very strong — stronger than all of us… Memes have zero effect on Rizwan.”
Now that’s the kind of mindset every athlete (and frankly, every human) needs. Rizwan isn’t letting the noise get to him. According to Babar, he respects everyone’s right to an opinion, but isn’t bothered by it.
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