Tag: Babar Azam

GALLE: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam confirmed left-arm spinner, Nauman Ali, as the replacement of ace pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, who was ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka due to a knee injury.

Babar, in a Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) released video statement, acknowledged Shaheen’s absence will be dearly missed while confirming that the touring side will add another spinner to the Playing XI for the second Test.

“Shaheen is our main bowler who provides us early breakthroughs. Unfortunately, he is not available so we have added another spinner, Nauman Ali and he will be playing tomorrow,” Babar confirmed.

“We will go with two pacers tomorrow and try to continue our match-winning performance,” he maintained.

Babar then went on to comment on the Green Shirts’ historic and record-breaking triumph over Sri Lanka in the first Test while claiming that the team always tries its best to produce such performances.

“As a team, we focus on record-breaking performances. Every player takes his responsibility sincerely and tries to give his hundred percent,” Babar asserted.

“As a unit, we are doing good so far. In the end, there are also some weak areas and we will try to work hard and come up more strongly,” he concluded.

The second Test between Pakistan and the hosts Sri Lanka will be played from July 24 to 28 at the same venue, meanwhile, the Green Shirts have a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series after their historic win in the first match.

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GALLE: Various records tumbled during the recently-concluded first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka as the visitors defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets on the back of an astounding unbeaten 160-run knock of right-handed opener Abdullah Shafique.

As Pakistan displayed sheer dominance over the Sri Lankan bowling attack in the fourth inning; chasing their second-highest ever total in the history of Test cricket. The Green Shirts have registered several records from their incredible victory.

Pakistan's second-highest successful run-chase in Tests ✅

A remarkable win to take a 1️⃣-0️⃣ lead in the series 👏#SLvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/n5B4iFJmZf

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 20, 2022

 

Pakistan’s successful 342-run chase against Sri Lanka in the first Test is the highest chase by any team at Galle. The previous highest successful fourth-innings chase here was 268 by Sri Lanka versus New Zealand in 2019.

Boys after conquering the Galle fort – the highest ever chase at Sri Lanka’s most successful Test venue. pic.twitter.com/O3853sQ58o

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 20, 2022

Pakistan’s hero of the Galle Test Abdullah, who displayed brilliance with his outstanding knock of 160* and guided the touring side to a historic victory also tumbled various records, as the right-handed batter become the first Pakistan batter to score a century at Galle in the fourth inning.

Only three batters, before today, had scored a century in fourth innings at Galle. Abdullah is the first Pakistan batter to do so. And, also, he now has the most runs in first six Tests for Pakistan.

Setting some wild batting standards! #Believe and #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/CQYXmpTBq1

— Ahsan Iftikhar Nagi (@ahsannagi) July 19, 2022

The 22-year-old opener has also scored the most Test runs for Pakistan after six matches, having scored 685 runs at an average of 76.11, leaving behind the legendary batter Javed Miandad, who scored 652.

Abdullah Shafique is some elite company. #SLvPak pic.twitter.com/1IGDGhwtqD

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 20, 2022

 

Furthermore, following his gritty knock of 160*, Abdullah has also become the first batter in Test history to bat over 500 minutes in a successful run chase as his match-winning knock saw him staying at the crease for a mammoth 524 runs.

Abdullah Shafique is the first batsman in Test history to bat 500+ minutes in a successful chase. He stayed on the wicket for 524 mins. #SLvPak

— Mazher Arshad (@MazherArshad) July 20, 2022

 

Whereas, Abdullah’s 160 is also the third-highest individual score by a Pakistan batter in the fourth inning of a Test.

Besides Abdullah, Pakistan captain Babar Azam touched another milestone completing 10,000 international runs across all formats to become the fastest Asian batter to reach the landmark.

🚨 MILESTONE ALERT 🚨

Babar Azam completes 10000 runs in international cricket 🇵🇰🏏

He becomes the fastest Asian batter to achieve the milestone 🔥#BabarAzam𓃵 #SLvPAK #CricketTwitter #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/4c3q6hvS4V

— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) July 17, 2022

 

On the opening day of the Galle Test, the Pakistan captain also became the fifth-fastest batter to mark 10,000 runs in international cricket in the record 228 innings, surpassing India’s Virat Kohli and Australia’s Steve Smith as both took 232 innings to achieve the feat.

The right-handed batter is also the quickest Pakistan batter to the 10,000 runs mark, leaving behind legendary batter Miandad, who achieved the milestone in 248 innings.

👑 @babarazam258 on 🔝

Phenomenal consistency across formats 💪#SLvPAK | #BackTheBoysInGreen pic.twitter.com/oWVrS0rjh4

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 17, 2022

 

READ: Pakistan climb to third spot in Test Championship after Galle Test win

KARACHI: India’s out-of-form batter Virat Kohli has finally responded to Babar Azam’s supportive tweet for himself as he is going through a rough patch in international cricket.

Babar, who made headlines by sharing a supportive message for Indian batter Virat Kohli, while sharing a picture of the two top batters from the last year’s ICC T20 World Cup, has finally received a response from his Indian counterpart.

“This too shall pass. Stay Strong,” Babar wrote while sharing a picture of him alongside Kohli.

This too shall pass. Stay strong. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/ozr7BFFgXt

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) July 14, 2022

Babar was praised for his sportsman spirit off the field by a number of former cricketers and fans from the two nations. However, a number of speculations also began to arise about whether the Indian batter will respond to the former’s message.

Virat, however, has proved the speculations wrong and has responded to Babar’s message for him in a challenging phase of his career, while also wishing latter the luck.

“Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best,” Kohli replied to Babar on his Tweet.

Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best 👏

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 16, 2022

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GALLE: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam opined regarding the playing conditions on offer here and claimed that the spinners dominate on these pitches ahead of the Green Shirts’ two-match away Test series against Sri Lanka.

In a scheduled pre-match press conference, the Pakistan captain acknowledged the importance of spinners in the series and claimed that they will play a key role.

“We played a warm-up game in Colombo and we found out that spinners dominate in these conditions,” Babar stated.

“Similarly, we heard that Galle pitch also supports spinners. Probably on the second and third day, or on the fourth day, spinners become too useful,” he maintained.

The right-handed batter also gave reference to the recently-concluded Test series between Australia and Sri Lanka while claiming that the touring side will plan by keeping the strength of the home side in mind.

“We have prepared ourselves strongly for the series, keeping in mind the strength of Sri Lanka at their home. We watched them play against Australia and will plan accordingly,” Babar shared.

World No.4 then expressed his hope in watching the Sri Lankan crowd in the stands despite the ongoing economic crisis and political unrest in the country, while also claiming that the Sri Lankan fans love Test cricket.

“Sri Lankan people love Test cricket. We saw their attendance in the Australia Test series, and it was impressive,” Babar said.

In response to a question regarding the safety and well-being of the touring side, the Pakistan skipper claimed that the Sri Lankan forces looked after them really well despite the ongoing tensions in the Island, while stressing that their sole focus is on cricket.

“We didn’t feel unsafe here because we have been looked after so well by Sri Lanka Cricket and security forces,” the skipper shared.

“We also played a warm-up game here and there weren’t any hurdles that made us feel unsafe. So, I think we should now focus on just our game,” he concluded.

READ: Pakistan captain Babar Azam backs out-of-form Virat Kohli

KARACHI: Pakistan all-format captain Babar Azam has come out in support of former Indian skipper Virat Kohli, who is going through a rough patch in international cricket.

Kohli, who last scored his international century in 2019 against Bangladesh, has remained unable to bring up his 71st ton since then.

The right-handed batter was again dismissed cheaply in the ongoing second ODI as David Wiley removed him for a mere 16, courtesy of an out-side off stump delivery.

Following his dismissal, the Pakistan captain has taken to all social media platforms to show solidarity with the Indian batter.

“This too shall pass. Stay strong,” Babar wrote while sharing a picture of him alongside Kohli.

This too shall pass. Stay strong. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/ozr7BFFgXt

— Babar Azam (@babarazam258) July 14, 2022

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KARACHI: Legendary Pakistan batter and current batting coach of the national team Mohammad Yousuf made a significant assertion about top-ranked white ball batter Babar Azam, claiming that the latter does not require much coaching.

Yousuf stated on ARY News’ show Bouncer (Eid Special) in response the host’s question about what he is coaching Babar these days, the batting coach asserted that the all-format Pakistan captain does not require much coaching since he is performing well.

“Babar doesn’t need to learn anything, in my opinion,” Yousuf told the host. “He is performing well and I always try to make sure not to disturb any player who is performing exceptionally well.”

The legendary batter then also heaped praises on left-handed opener Imam-ul-Haq and made the same assertion as he did about Babar.

“Same goes for Imam, as he too, is doing really well. But, I do tell him if there is any minor mistake in his approach. So yeah, I always try not to disturb those batters, who are performing well,” Yousuf claimed.

Yousuf then opined on the Green Shirts’ struggling middle-order, claiming that the players are working hard to overcome the adversity and will soon produce positive results.

“As you mentioned the middle-order, scoring quick singles are very essential for them. We held a camp and in one of the nets we were directing the players to play sweep shots,” Yousuf revealed.

“Because, as per my cricketing knowledge, when a batter plays a sweep shot to spinners. The bowler then will either bowl a full-length delivery or a rather short-of-length delivery. So, this variation in the pitching of the ball, allows the batter to score freely and the rotation of strike also gets easier,” he maintained.

It is pertinent to mention here that the national team has recently been suffering from a struggling middle-order as they displayed a dismal show in the recently-concluded home ODI series against West Indies.

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KARACHI: Pakistan all-format captain and the top-ranked white-ball batter Babar Azam wished the nation on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha.

In a video shared on the official social media platforms of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the right-handed batter wished the nation on behalf of his entire team.

“A very happy Eid to all of you from my side and on the behalf of my entire team. I hope your Eid is going really well,” Babar greeted the nation.

“And I hope that you will continue to support the Pakistan cricket team,” he concluded.

A special Eid message from 🇵🇰 captain @babarazam258 🤩#EidAdhaMubarak pic.twitter.com/CgWewfqYpB

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) July 9, 2022

 

It is pertinent to mention here that the Babar-led Pakistan Test squad are on a tour to Sri Lanka. The Green Shirts will play a warm-up match on July 11 before the two-match Test series from July 16 to 28.

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LAHORE: Pakistan all-format skipper and currently top-ranked T20I and ODI batter Babar Azam has expressed his urge to lead the rankings across every format by improving his standings in Test cricket as well. 

Speaking at a scheduled press conference held here at Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the national team’s upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, the skipper stated that he was trying to accentuate his rankings in the red-ball format through his performance.

The skipper also revealed his plans for participation in Australia’s Big Bash League and made it clear that he would only think about franchise cricket after fulfilling his national duty.

“Currently, we have enough cricket of our own. I will think about Big Bash or other events only if I get the spare time” he said.

Talking about the team’s preparation for the upcoming overseas task, Babar revealed that the team combination and playing strategy would be devised only after observing the conditions in Sri Lanka while he hailed all-rounder Faheem Ashraf for playing a vital role in the team combination.

“Faheem is our key all-rounder and we get a perfect team combination due to his presence” he maintained.

“We will observe the conditions once we reach Sri Lanka and then construct the best possible team combination,” he said. “The weather of any place is not in our hands. We try our best to play according to the conditions.”

Opining on Yasir Shah’s return to the Test squad, Babar credited the leg-spinner for strengthening the team’s spin bowling attack while he claimed that Sajid Shah had been given time to work on his bowling action.

“Our spin bowling attack is strong and Yasir Shah’s return has further strengthened the attack,” he said. “We have complete confidence in our fast bowling as well.”

It is worth mentioning here that Pakistan will tour Sri Lanka to play a two-match Test series, scheduled from July 16 to July 28.

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LAHORE: Skipper Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi have been offered category A in both red and white-ball contracts as Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced central contracts for 33 players for the year 2022-23.

Pakistan national team Chief selector Muhammad Wasim, speaking at a scheduled press conference held here today to announce the central contract for players, stated that the contracts have been offered to players on the basis of their fitness and last year’s performance.

According to details, 10 players have received red-ball contracts, while 11 players have received white-ball contracts, along with Imam-ul-Haq, Hassan Ali, Babar, Rizwan, and Shaheen, who have been offered both contracts.

Meanwhile, seven high-performing domestic players have also been offered central contracts under the emerging category.

MEN’S CENTRAL CONTRACT LIST 2022-23 

Red and White-ball Contracts (5):

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (all Category A), Hasan Ali (red-ball Category B, white-ball Category C), and Imam-ul-Haq (red-ball Category C, white-ball Category B)

Red ball Contracts (10):

Category A – Azhar Ali

Category B – Fawad Alam

Category C – Abdullah Shafique, Naseem Shah, and Nauman Ali

Category D – Abid Ali, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Saud Shakeel, Shan Masood, and Yasir Shah

White-ball Contracts (11):

Category A – Fakhar Zaman and Shadab Khan

Category B – Haris Rauf

Category C – Mohammad Nawaz

Category D – Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir and Zahid Mehmood

Emerging Contracts (7):

Ali Usman (Southern Punjab), Haseebullah (Balochistan), Kamran Ghulam (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Haris (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Mohammad Huraira (Northern), Qasim Akram (Central Punjab) and Salman Ali Agha (Southern Punjab).

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DUBAI: Pakistan national team skipper Babar Azam has added one more record to his credit, as he remains the top-ranked T20I batter in the world for the longest period, overtaking India’s former captain Virat Kohli.

According to the latest rankings released by the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Wednesday, Babar stayed atop in both T20I and ODI batters rankings.

Pakistan skipper surpassed Kohli to become the longest-serving No.1 T20I batter. Previously, Kohli sustained the top spot for 1013 days to hold the record.

Babar remained in the fourth spot in Test batters rankings. He is currently the only batter who enjoys top four spots across all formats.

Meanwhile, opener Imam ul Haq and wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan retained the second positions in ODI and T20I, respectively, in the latest ICC rankings.

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