Tag: Babar Azam

Adil Rashid upbeat for another “world-class” Babar Azam challenge

Posted on by A Sports

BIRMINGHAM: England leg-spinner Adil Rashid expressed his excitement for yet another battle with Pakistan’s ace batter Babar Azam in the upcoming T20I series between the two sides.

Pakistan will tour England for a four-match T20I series ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024.

Meanwhile, England’s first-choice spinner in the limited overs format, Adil Rashid, who is also at the summit of the ICC Men’s T20I Bowling Rankings, acknowledged the Pakistan team as a stiff challenge.

“We are fully prepared and ready to face Pakistan team. They are very good team, they got experience and some very explosive players,” Rashid told a Pakistani news outlet here.

“They always enjoyed big support specially in Birmingham and Leeds so the crowd will be big. We were looking forward to it,” he added.

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He then commented on his battle with Babar Azam and claimed to enjoy the challenge against the “one of the best batters in the world”.

“I enjoy bowling to everybody as a bowler you have to be careful against each player. But I especially enjoy bowling to Babar Azam because he’s a class player. He is one of the best batters in the world,” stated Rashid.

“He’s not only a good player of spin but equally a good player against pacers too. It happens in cricket as it’s the part and parcel of this game and sometimes I might get him out. Hopefully when he comes here, I will try to get him out again,” he said.

It is worth mentioning here that Adil Rashid has dismissed Babar Azam numerous times in international cricket, the highlight of which was when he got the right-handed caught and bowled in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 final.

READ: Several England stadiums ‘open to exploring’ hosting Pakistan-India Tests

Babar Azam opens up about Pakistan’s narrow loss against New Zealand

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan captain Babar Azam opened up on Wednesday after the national team’s second loss against an inexperienced New Zealand team in the ongoing T20I series.

Pakistan team failed to chase 179 during the last-over thriller in Lahore’s iconic Gaddafi Stadium.

Babar Azam, after the match, appreciated the bowlers for making a comeback and restricting New Zealand to 178 after a good start by the batters.

However, he blamed the batting collapse for the team’s failure in chasing the target.

“I think we restricted them in bowling really well. We were expecting 190-200 but the bowlers stuck to their plans. It was chaseable, but we had a batting collapse as we lost three wickets in the powerplay,” said Babar Azam.

“When you lose back-to-back wickets, you need a few overs to catch up but that we got derailed in that period.”

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He then appreciated left-handed batter Fakhar Zaman for his impressive knock of 61 runs from 45 balls, which featured four boundaries and three sixes.

“Fakhar [Zaman] played an outstanding innings. We wanted to chase it with positive intent but we were unable to do so,” Babar added.

The right-handed batter also acknowledged the challenge of forced changes due to injuries to key players during the series.

He also shared that the team wanted to try different combinations during the series and expressed optimism about the team’s preparation for the T20 World Cup.

“There were some changes due to injuries but youngsters put in a great effort. Our plan was to give a proper opportunity to (test our) bench strength and to try different combinations. Hopefully, we will have the team ready come the time of the World Cup,” he concluded.

New Zealand are currently leading the five-match series 2-1. The two teams will square off in the last match of the series on April 27.

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Babar Azam opens up on Pakistan’s upset defeat against New Zealand

Posted on by A Sports

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan captain Babar Azam revealed the reason behind the national men’s cricket team’s shocking defeat against an inexperienced New Zealand side in the third T20I of the ongoing five-match series.

Speaking at the post-match presentation, Babar debunked the team’s slow approach in the middle overs as the reason behind their loss and instead asserted that the Green Shirts were 10 runs short of a defendable total.

“I don’t think it [slow run-rate during the middle overs] made much of a difference because we had caught up. You can say we were 10 runs short,” said Azam.

“Unfortunately, we had a bit of a setback with Rizwan [injury] because it wasn’t easy for new batsmen but I think Shadab recovered well and had an outstanding partnership with Irfan. In Pindi, 180-190 is a par score. In batting, we did well.”

For the unversed, Mark Chapman’s swashbuckling unbeaten half-century powered New Zealand to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the third T20I here at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

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Chapman carried his bat all the way through and guided New Zealand over the line on the second delivery of the penultimate over.

He remained the top-scorer for New Zealand with an unbeaten 87 off 42 deliveries. His match-winning knock featured nine boundaries and four sixes.

With the five-match series squared off at 1-1, both teams will now travel to Lahore where the last two T20Is will be played on April 25 and 27 respectively.

Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haseebullah (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad:

Michael Bracewell (c), Tom Blundell, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Zak Foulkes, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi.

READ: Haseebullah replaces Azam Khan in Pakistan squad for New Zealand T20Is

Misbah-ul-Haq advises Babar Azam to set example as captain

Posted on by A Sports

Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has recently offered advice to the recently reinstated captain Babar Azam.

Babar Azam made his return as Pakistan’s white-ball captain in the first T20I against New Zealand yesterday.

However, the weather in Rawalpindi allowed only two-ball action as adamant rainfall continued to downpour at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, consequently abandoning the match.

Misbah-ul-Haq, who is the most successful Test captain of Pakistan with 26 victories, suggested Babar Azam to learn from his past mistakes and improve his tactical awareness as captain.

“Experience always enhances the captaincy, and there is always room for improvement. Babar needs to be stronger tactically,” stated Misbah during an interview with a local sports outlet.

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“He needs to improve tactically on the mistakes we noticed in the past,” he added.

Misbah also appreciated Azam’s efforts in uniting the team in past, however, he suggested the star batter support players only for the right reasons.

“Babar needs to try to back the players for the right reasons, not for the wrong ones. This is something Babar needs to learn,” the former captain added.

The 49-year-old urged Azam to lead by example and set benchmarks for his teammates in both performance and fitness.

“Lastly, the most important thing that I always say is setting an example. In your performances, your fitness, in everything, you have to push others by setting an example that everyone should do this,” he concluded.

READ: New Zealand’s training session cancelled due to weather conditions

Babar Azam spills the beans about team combination for New Zealand T20Is

Posted on by A Sports

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam on Wednesday, opened up about the potency of trying different team combinations against an inexperienced New Zealand side during the five-match T20I series.

Babar interacted with the media here on the eve of Pakistan’s crucial home series, leading to this year’s T20 World Cup in the United States of America (USA) and the West Indies.

To a question regarding the opening pair for the New Zealand T20Is, Babar remained tight-lipped but revealed that there will be an almost different combination in each of the five matches.

“I think, there’s flexibility for everyone and we’ll try to give opportunities to the youngsters and test our bench strength.

“And, you’ll see a different combination in almost every match. We’ll try to check where we stand by going with different combinations, be it in batting or bowling.

Babar then went on to reveal that the national team’s ideal combination would be finalized by the upcoming away T20I series against Ireland and England.

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In response to a question regarding Pakistan’s long-standing middle-order woes, Babar Azam claimed that the inclusion of youngsters like Azam Khan and Muhammad Irfan Khan Naizi would give more depth to the team’s batting unit.

“We definitely pondered about this and thus included youngsters like Usman Khan, Irfan Niazi and Azam Khan to address the spots on which we were lacking in the past and obviously, we already had Iftikhar in the mix.

“We tried to strengthen that and after that, we have Shadab and Imad. So, in this way, our batting is getting more stronger.

“So, if we go with whatever combination, our batting [depth] goes till the eighth number and yet we would be left with Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah.”

It is worth mentioning here that Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will host the opening three T20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand on 18, 20 and 21 April before action shifts to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium where the last two matches will be played on 25 and 27 April.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

READ: PCB unveils commentary panel for Pakistan-New Zealand T20Is

PCB Chairman holds meeting with Babar Azam ahead of New Zealand T20Is

Posted on by A Sports

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi held a high-profile meeting involving national men’s cricket team captain Babar Azam ahead of the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand.

According to the details, the meeting was also attended by national selector Wahab Riaz and head coach Azhar Mahmood.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Mohsin Naqvi confirmed holding a meeting by sharing a picture with the “national team officials”.

“Discussion with national team officials about the upcoming Pak vs NZ series,” wrote Naqvi.

 

The agenda of the high-profile meeting, however, is yet to be known.

For the unversed, the five-match T20I series between Pakistan and New Zealand will commence on April 18 at Pindi Cricket Stadium here.

But the first three T20Is of the series are likely to be affected by rain.

According to weather forecasts, there could be heavy rain in Islamabad and Rawalpindi throughout this week.

There are 60 per cent chance of rain, during the day and 80 per cent at night on April 18 when the first T20I shall be played.

The rain probability increases to 84 on April 20 before it significantly drops down to 20 per cent on April 21.

The two teams will then travel to Lahore to compete in the remaining two T20Is on April 25 and 27 respectively at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule

April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore

READ: PCB unveils commentary panel for Pakistan-New Zealand T20Is

Azhar Mahmood hints at resting Babar Azam in New Zealand T20Is

Posted on by A Sports

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan cricket team’s head coach Azhar Mahmood said that captain Babar Azam could also be rested as part of the rotation policy and to refine the team’s combination.

Addressing a presser in Rawalpindi, Azhar Mahmood said that any player including Babar Azam could be rested during the five-match series, depending on the situation.

“As per policy, we will try to select the best 11 best available players for every match while keeping the conditions in mind,” he added.

To a question, Azhar Mahmood said the team’s management has not decided on the opening pair yet.

“We have not finalised who would be opening the inning. It (opening pair) could be Babar-Saim, Saim-Rizwan and even Fakhar Zaman can also open the inning,” he added.

The head coach also expressed confidence in his team’s capabilities, emphasising the squad’s robust composition and strategic preparations for their upcoming home series against New Zealand.

“The composition of our team, with its blend of experienced batters, agile fast bowlers, and versatile all-rounders, fills me with great confidence,” the coach said.

Azhar Mahmood was of the view that the return of experienced players like all-rounder Imad Wasim and fast bowler Mohammad Amir boosted the team. “Their comeback will undoubtedly bolster our team’s strength,” he stated.

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To a question, he regarded the New Zealand team players as future stars while dismissing the impression of “B Team” sent to play against Pakistan.

“The date indicates that they have a great deal of domestic cricket experience. They are their finest player, and no team is weak in T20s. This is the New Zealand team, and they are playing Pakistan,” Azhar Mahmood added.

The head coach said that fast bowler Shaheen Afridi is completely fit and available for the series starting from April 18.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule

April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore

READ: Trophy for Pakistan-West Indies ODI series unveiled

Mohammad Rizwan close to surpass Virat Kohli, Babar Azam’s record

Posted on by A Sports

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan’s wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Rizwan is close to breaking a significant T20I record, currently held by teammate Babar Azam and Indian star batter Virat Kohli, during the upcoming New Zealand series.

Kohli and Azam are the joint-fastest to score 3000 runs in T20I cricket, taking 81 innings each, followed by Australia’s Aaoron Finch who took 98 innings.

However, Rizwan needs only 19 runs in his next two innings to become the fastest to reach the milestone. He has scored 2,981 runs in 78 innings so far.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam is closing in on Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs in T20I cricket.

Azam has scored 3,698 runs in T20I cricket and is third among the highest run-scorers in the format.

Kohli tops the list with 4,037, followed by his teammate Rohit Sharma, who has amassed 3,974 runs.

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Azam needs 340 runs in five games to become the highest-scorer as well as the second batter to surpass the 4000-run mark in T20I cricket.

For the unversed, Pakistan will host New Zealand for a five-match T20I series, scheduled to run from April 18.

Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will host the opening three T20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand on 18, 20 and 21 April before action shifts to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium where the last two matches will be played on 25 and 27 April.

Pakistan squad

Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saim Ayub, Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan (wk), Imad Wasim, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Abrar Ahmed, Fakhar Zaman, Irfan Khan Niazi, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan

Reserves: Haseebullah, Mohammad Ali, Agha Salman, Sahibzada Farhan, Mohammad Wasim Jr.

New Zealand squad

Michael Bracewell (c), Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson, Jacob Duffy, Dean Foxcroft, Ben Lister, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Will O’Rourke, Tim Robinson, Ben Sears, Tim Seifert (WK), Ish Sodhi, Tom Blundell, Zak Foulkes.

Pakistan vs New Zealand T20I series schedule

April 18 — 1st T20I, Rawalpindi

April 20 — 2nd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 21 — 3rd T20I, Rawalpindi

April 25 — 4th T20I, Lahore

April 27 — 5th T20I, Lahore

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Babar Azam eyes multiple T20I landmarks in New Zealand series

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam is on the verge of breaking multiple records in T20I cricket during the upcoming home series against New Zealand.

The five-match T20I series will kick off on April 18 at Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium, marking Babar Azam’s return as Pakistan captain.

The star batter has scored 3,698 runs in T20I cricket and is third among the highest run-scorers in the format.

Indian star batter Virat Kohli tops the list with 4,037, followed by his teammate Rohit Sharma, who has amassed 3,974 runs.

Azam needs 340 runs in five games to become the highest-scorer as well as the second batter to surpass the 4000-run mark in T20I cricket.

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The right-handed batsman has captained Pakistan in 71 T20I matches, leading them to 42 victories. He is only three wins short of the record for the most wins as a T20I captain.

The record is currently held by Uganda’s Brian Masaba, who led his team to 44 victories.

Moreover, former Australian batter Aaron Finch holds the record for scoring the most runs (2236) as captain in T20I cricket.

He is closely followed by Azam, who has accumulated 2195 runs and is all set to surpass the record tally.

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Pakistan cricketers extend Eid-ul-Fitr greetings

Posted on by A Sports

Pakistan’s white-ball captain Babar Azam as well as many current and former cricketers extended their heartfelt wishes to the entire Muslim community on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr.

Players took to their official X (formerly Twitter) accounts to send Eid-ul-Fitr greetings, with some players posting their pictures along with wishes.

It is pertinent to mention that the Pakistan cricket team is set to host New Zealand for a five-match T20I series.

New Zealand are slated to reach Pakistan on April 14, for the crucial series, leading to the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup.

Rawalpindi’s Pindi Cricket Stadium will host the first three T20Is between Pakistan and New Zealand on 18, 20 and 21 April.

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The two sides will then travel to Lahore to lock horns in the remaining two T20Is on 25 and 27 April, respectively.

The national selection committee members Abdul Razzaq, Asad Shafiq, Bilal Afzal, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz announced the 17-member Pakistan squad for the five-match T20I series yesterday.

Uncapped batters Usman Khan and Irfan Khan Niazi as well as returning Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim are notable selections in the Pakistan squad for New Zealand series.

Pakistan squad for T20I series against New Zealand

Babar Azam (c), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Amir, Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Afridi, Usman Khan, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir

Non-travelling reserve: Sahibzada Farhan, Haseebullah Khan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Mohammad Ali, Salman Ali Agha.

READ: “Exceedingly harsh,” Wahab Riaz on Ramiz Raja’s remarks about Amir