‘Is this from the Pakistani willow?’ ‘It’s never hit a ball’: Cricket fans roast Babar Azam after he gifts signed bat to King Charles

‘Is this from the Pakistani willow?’ ‘It’s never hit a ball’: Cricket fans roast Babar Azam after he gifts signed bat to King Charles originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Babar Azam presented King Charles III with a Pakistan-squad-signed bat during the team’s visit to Clarence House.
• Fans quickly mocked the gesture, questioning whether the bat had ever been used.
• Pakistan already lost the England Test series 2-0, making the third Test at Edgbaston a dead rubber.

Pakistan tour in crisis as Babar gifts signed bat to King Charles

With Pakistan losing both the first two tests by innings and 103 runs at Headingley and 194 runs at Lord’s respectively, their England tour has become a crisis as the series is now all but wrapped up 2-0 in favour of England. 

This forced a complete overhaul of the team where seven players have been released, which includes Mohammad Rizwan and Salman Ali Agha along with the head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and the bowling coach Umar Gul.

King Charles was gifted a signed bat by Pakistan’s national cricket team, during their visit to Clarence House in London today. pic.twitter.com/8CCUGiLx4S

— Test Match Special (@bbctms) September 2, 2026

Amidst all the chaos, Babar and the rest of the Pakistan team met with King Charles III on September 2 at Clarence House. Babar gifted the king a bat signed by his teammates. The gesture, however, quickly became a social media joke.

MORE:Misbah resigns from PCB selection committee after 7 players were sent home from ENG tour

Fans turn Babar’s King Charles gesture into a roast

One fan commented: “Apparently it’s never hit a ball. It was used in the last 2 tests.”

Apparently it’s never hit a ball.

It was used in the last 2 tests.

— The Skinster (@ColinSkinner17) September 2, 2026

Another suggested King Charles inquire if it had been made using Pakistani willow, saying, “He is asking, is this from the Pakistani willow? Babar be like yes yes from all Pakistani players bruhhhh.”

Similarly, yet another mocked Babar’s understanding of bat construction: “Does babar azam know bats are made of English willow, not ‘Pakistan willow’?”

He is asking , is this from the Pakistani willow
Babar be like yes yes from all pakistani players bruhhhh 😭😭😭🤣🤣 https://t.co/I4zCze7CXR

— shadow 🌑 (@shadow_vuy) September 3, 2026

Does babar azam know bats are made of English willow, not ‘Pakistan willow’?

— chainofdogs (@ColtaineCC) September 2, 2026

Further on, the comments went. One fan asked: “I wonder if the dropped players signed this bat.”

Even Iceland Cricket added into the fun: “You can bet he didn’t know who most of the players were, because nobody else does.”

I wonder if the dropped players signed this bat https://t.co/IEJztw4eUk

— Prisha (@prishhss) September 2, 2026

You can bet he didn’t know who most of the players were, because nobody else does. https://t.co/DxKpWFwdPf

— Iceland Cricket (@icelandcricket) September 2, 2026

The jokes continued with another fan speculating, “They offered him the job of bowling coach as well.”

They offered him the job of bowling coach as well https://t.co/x0jrypq0sO

— CharlieCooke_ (@CookeeCharlie) September 2, 2026

The bat itself received most of the mockery after the Pakistan batters’ failures in the first two Test matches, and perhaps due to the poor timing of such an award, with the team still reeling from its second loss of the series.

MORE:Broad launches another attack on PAK, refuses to acknowledge ENG’s bowling strength

Bat joke on Babar reflects Pakistan cricket’s bigger problem

The bat jokes are harmless jibes, but they speak volumes about the frustration with Pakistani cricket.

Signed bat is a common courtesy. However, with back-to-back losses, wholesale team changes, and a coach shuffle, the circumstances made it easy for the gift of the bat to be ridiculed.

What really matters is not whether or not the bat has ever hit the ball, but that Pakistan starts performing to their potential.

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