Tag: Babar Azam

Pakistan pacer Hasan Ali has recently expressed his admiration for the national white-ball captain, Babar Azam, affirming his previous accolades by referring to the batter as “the king.”

During an interview with a local news outlet, the 30-year-old fast bowler shared his reaction to being left out of Pakistan’s squad for the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

“Obviously, I wanted to play, and I wanted to perform and play. [But] I don’t want to play without performance, and it’s neither in my nature nor do I want to play that kind of cricket, and I never have,” Hasan Ali stated.

“So I don’t regret it because the management had already told me that I was Haris Rauf’s replacement only for the Ireland and England tours. So when Haris gets fit, you will automatically be out.”

He then heaped high praise on Babar Azam, hailing him as ‘the king of Pakistan’s batting lineup,’ dismissing recent criticism following the Green Shirts’ early exit from the T20 World Cup.

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“He is the king of Pakistan’s batting lineup, and he should improve. I should improve; everyone should improve. And you can see that he has also improved. It’s not like he hasn’t done it,” Ali added.

“Wherever he has performed in batting, I don’t think he has given a bad performance anywhere, except in India in the recent World Cup, where he didn’t score a century.

“We used to hear about the Fab Four, which are these four players (Virat Kohli, Kane  Williamson, Steve Smith, and Joe Root). Because of Babar Azam, it became the Fab Five, as Babar is the fifth player in the Fab Five.”

He then jokingly reiterated his famous remark ‘King karlega’ which went viral in September last year, stating that Azam will keep getting better.

“And he’s the King. I still stand by my statement, and I hope he will get even better. And yes, (King krlega) King will achieve it,” he concluded.

READ: India unwilling to visit Pakistan for Champions Trophy 2025: reports

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi did not mince his words while criticising the national white-ball captain Babar Azam, indirectly demanding a change in leadership.

Afridi is currently in London, representing Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends.

He spoke to the media after Pakistan’s match against South Africa Champions yesterday and stated that Babar Azam has been given more chances than any captain in the history of Pakistan cricket.

“We have also led Pakistan, but hardly any captain got as many chances as Babar Azam. In the past, after every World Cup, the captain used to be the first one to be sacked,” said Shahid Afridi.

“Babar has got ample opportunities, ODI World Cup, Asia Cup, T20 World Cup. I think it is time to take a decision.”

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Afridi also reacted to the removal of Wahab Riaz and Abdul Razzaq, both part of the Pakistan Champions’ squad, as the selectors of the national men’s cricket team.

“I have come to know about the expulsion of Wahab and Razzaq. To be honest, this kind of surgery is beyond my comprehension,” he stated.

“The selection committee was comprised of seven members, why the surgery has been done on two?” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Wahab Riaz has also been removed from his post as senior team manager of the national team, along with team manager Mansoor Rana, according to sources.

The shakeup in the national men’s team’s selection committee is a part of the “major surgery”, hinted at by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

READ: Pakistan head coaches, assistant coach hold meeting at PCB headquarters

Former Pakistan captain and head coach Misbah-ul-Haq highlighted the need for the evaluation of Babar Azam’s performance as white-ball captain, following the national team’s dismal run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan men’s cricket team, in a first, were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

The back-to-back defeats had put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament while the abandonment of the crucial group-stage fixture between USA and Ireland officially marked the end of their campaign in T20 World Cup 2024.

Pakistan team is facing massive criticism from fans and former players alike over their disastrous performance in the mega-event.

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Meanwhile, Pakistan’s most successful Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq while speaking to the media after his side’s World Championship of Legends fixture, backed Babar Azam amid criticism, stating that a captain is not the only one responsible for the team’s loss.

“As far as Babar’s performance is concerned, we need to see where he stands after four years. It’s not just the captain’s fault; the blame lies with all departments, including batting, bowling, and fielding,” Misbah said.

“The decision-makers also need to assess where the team combination stands and what sensible options are available. However, if changes are being made just for show, just for cosmetic reasons, it will be detrimental.

“The continuous changes made by the management and captain series after series have caused us to suffer in the World Cup.”

READ: Gautam Gambhir confirmed as new India head coach

Former Pakistan captain Younis Khan has discussed the crucial role and necessary traits for a successful captain after Pakistan Champions’ victory over India Champions in the World Championship of Legends.

While addressing the media after the match, Younis Khan dedicated the victory to Pakistan fans, who were left heartbroken after the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 debacle.

He advised the fans to remain patient and back the team in crucial times.

“The advice to the fans is to stay patient as change cannot happen overnight. We cannot just remove the current players and bring players from outside, this cannot work,” said Younis Khan.

Babar Azam-led Pakistan team is facing massive criticism from fans and former players alike over their disastrous performance in the T20 World Cup, with many calling for a change in leadership.

Talking about the captaincy, the former captain shed light on the qualities of a good captain.

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“A captain should be someone who is capable of leading the side, who can handle the pressure. It’s not just about batting or bowling, a captain should think of every player, even if the player is on the bench,” Khan stated.

“You should know the player’s technique, his energy and skills. Only then, you can get the best out of them,” he added.

Moreover, he cited the examples of former Pakistan captains Imran Khan, Javed Miandad and Wasim Akram, who took the best of their players and built a team that served the nation for years.

“We talk about the great Imran Khan, Javed bhai (Javed Miandad), or Wasim Akram. Why were they good coaches [or captains]? Because they gave us players like Saqlain Mushtaq, Abdul Razzaq, Azhar Mahmood, and Shahid Afridi. According to me, a leader should be a good motivator alongside being a good batter or bowler,” Khan concluded.

Younis Khan-led Pakistan Champions are currently sitting at the top of the World Championship of Legends standings with eight points from four games.

READ: Mushtaq Ahmed joins England U19 coaching panel

A video of a young fan kissing his own hand after a handshake with Pakistan white-ball captain and star batter Babar Azam has been making rounds on social media.

The incident occurred during Babar’s visit to former captain Azhar Ali’s cricket academy here.

The aspiring young cricketers were standing in a queue with Babar meeting each one of them. The video of Babar’s interaction with the young fans captured a heart-warming scene when a boy kissed his hand immediately after shaking his hand with the star batter.

While doing so, the pleasure and joy were evident on the young boy’s face.

 

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The national team’s captain garnered widespread praise and love from the cricket community for engaging with his young fans.

For the unversed, Pakistan are all set to host Bangladesh for a two-match home Test series.

The Test series, scheduled to commence on August 21 is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) and is crucial for the Green Shirts for their qualification for the final.

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Following the home assignment against Bangladesh, Pakistan will host England for a three-match Test series and thus Babar is focused on maintaining his physical strength and fitness, highly essential to match the needs of the longest format.

In a video shared across social media platforms, Babar Azam was seen doing several exercises in a bid to remain prepared for Pakistan’s busy international season 2024-25.

Earlier this week, Babar also met Australia’s leading power-hitting coach Shannon Young.

The meeting took place at a local cricket club in Lahore during Young’s private visit to Pakistan. Babar Azam consulted Young about how to enhance power-hitting abilities to cater to the demands of modern-day cricket.

READ: Bowlers-led Zimbabwe beat India in T20I series opener

Pakistan’s white-ball captain and star batter Babar Azam engaged in extensive fitness training ahead of the two-match home Test series against Bangladesh.

The Test series, scheduled to commence on August 21 is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) and is crucial for the Green Shirts for their qualification for the final.

Following the home assignment against Bangladesh, Pakistan will host England for a three-match Test series and thus Babar is focused on maintaining his physical strength and fitness, highly essential to match the needs of the longest format.

In a video shared across social media platforms, Babar Azam was seen doing several exercises in a bid to remain prepared for Pakistan’s busy international season 2024-25.

 

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A post shared by Babar Azam (@babarazam)

Earlier this week, Babar Azam met Australia’s leading power-hitting coach Shannon Young in Lahore.

The meeting took place at a local cricket club in Lahore during Young’s private visit to Pakistan. Babar Azam consulted Young about how to enhance power-hitting abilities to cater to the demands of modern-day cricket.

Following the meeting, the Australian power-hitting coach Young backed Babar amid criticism following the national team’s dismal campaign at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

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In an interview with the local media outlet, Shannon Young termed Babar Azam a world-class player before asserting if a player of his calibre was in Australia, they would back him instead of criticising him.

“He [Babar] is well; he is a world-class player. If there was a player like Babar [Azam] in Australia, we would have been supporting him instead of criticising him,” said Young.

“In Australia, we back them in, and we say they’ve been world-class players, they’re gonna be world-class players again.

“I think sometimes the passion tips over that these guys carry so much expectation through Pakistan’s one of the best players in the world; he’s gonna be fine.”

READ: Bowlers-led Zimbabwe beat India in T20I series opener

Australia’s power-hitting coach Shannon Young came out in support of Pakistan white-ball captain and ace batter Babar Azam, who has been under criticism for his below-par performances.

In an interview with the local media outlet, Shannon Young termed Babar Azam a world-class player before asserting if a player of his calibre was in Australia, they would back him instead of criticising him.

“He [Babar] is well; he is a world-class player. If there was a player like Babar [Azam] in Australia, we would have been supporting him instead of criticising him,” said Young.

“In Australia, we back them in, and we say they’ve been world-class players, they’re gonna be world-class players again.

“I think sometimes the passion tips over that these guys carry so much expectation through Pakistan’s one of the best players in the world; he’s gonna be fine.”

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Shannon Young also revealed his plans to bring young Australian cricketers to Pakistan on his next visit and provide them with the opportunity to partake in high-performance training sessions.

“We’re hoping that maybe April. Previously, I’ve always wanted to come to Pakistan, so I got the opportunity, and I knew really early on that Australians would love Pakistan. So we’re gonna bring hopefully a couple of tours to play cricket here,” he said.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Pakistan, and now I got the chance. First, I spent four days in Karachi, and now I’m in Lahore for another four days. In the past, I’ve toured India many times with cricketers,” Young added.

Earlier, Shannon Young met Pakistan captain Babar Azam, who approached him to enhance his power-hitting abilities to cater to the demands of modern-day cricket.

READ: Pakistan to play ODI tri-series amid home international season 2024-25

Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam recently met Australia’s leading power-hitting coach Shannon Young on Thursday in Lahore.

The meeting took place at a local cricket club in Lahore during Young’s private visit to Pakistan. Babar Azam consulted Young about how to enhance power-hitting abilities to cater to the demands of modern-day cricket.

For the unversed, Australia’s young aggressive opening batter Jake Fraser-McGurk has credited Shannon Young for his power-hitting prowess. Meanwhile, Young has also worked with established Australian players like Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne.

Babar Azam started physical training at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) last week after returning from the United States of America (USA). The right-handed batter trained for two hours in the scorching heat in a bid to focus on his fitness.

The white-ball captain recently declared his availability for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh.

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The star batter, however, will partake in Global T20 Canada 2024 where he will represent Vancouver Knights, prior to the Bangladesh Tests.

The fourth season of the GT20 will run from July 25 until August 11. The six-team tournament will be played at TD Cricket Arena in Brampton.

For the unversed, Azam has been under fire lately for his batting and captaincy after Pakistan’s early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

The 2009 champions, in a first, were knocked out from the group stage of the tournament, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

The back-to-back defeats had put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament while the abandonment of the crucial group-stage fixture between the USA and Ireland officially marked the end of their campaign in T20 World Cup 2024.

READ: Rashid Latif wants Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan to follow Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has criticised the national team’s white-ball captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for their batting approach in T20I cricket.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been a mainstay of Pakistan’s top order in the shorter format, however, they often criticised for their strike rates, especially in the powerplay

Rashid Latif, while talking on his YouTube channel, urged Babar and Rizwan to follow the examples of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli, who recently guided their team to the T20 World Cup glory.

“I would give examples of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to show how they changed themselves. Rohit has changed himself 190 degrees; change is possible because he has become a role model. His IPL strike rate used to be 130-140, but this year it went up to 160. He changed himself. Virat Kohli did the same thing. If these two batters can change, then anyone can,” stated Latif.

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The former captain suggested that Pakistan batters should be given a specific time period to change their batting approach, otherwise they should be dropped.

“I would give Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan 5 matches to change their batting approach in T20Is, and if they won’t, then there should be no place in the team for them,” he added.

It is pertinent to mention that the Babar Azam-led Pakistan team were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

The back-to-back defeats had put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament while the abandonment of the crucial group-stage fixture between the USA and Ireland officially marked the end of their campaign in T20 World Cup 2024.

READ: PCB chairman opens up on Babar Azam’s future as captain

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman (PCB) Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday opened up about the future of the national team’s white-ball captain Babar Azam in his role.

Babar Azam has been under hot water following the national men’s team’s early exit from the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024.

Naqvi, while talking to the media here, stated that there has been no decision to remove the captain yet. However, he is consulting with former cricketers and they will decide on Babar Azam’s future as captain.

“No decision has been taken so far related to Babar Azam,” said the PCB chief, adding that he is seeking advice from former cricketers on how to improve cricket in Pakistan.

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“I’m only speaking to those former cricketers who are interested in the betterment of Pakistan cricket,” he added.

The PCB chairman also shared that he called head coach Gary Kirsten and assistant coach Azhar Mahmood for a discussion on the Pakistan team’s performance in the mega-event.

It is pertinent to mention that the Babar Azam-led Pakistan team were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup, majorly because of their upset defeat against the USA, followed by a gut-wrenching defeat against arch-rivals India.

The back-to-back defeats had put Pakistan on the verge of an early exit from the tournament while the abandonment of the crucial group-stage fixture between the USA and Ireland officially marked the end of their campaign in T20 World Cup 2024.

READ: T20 World Cup champions India get heroes welcome upon returning home