Babar Azam talked about the recent change in Pakistan’s captaincy. He became the captain again, replacing Shaheen Shah Afridi. Last month, Shaheen Shah Afridi was upset when the PCB replaced him with Babar Azam, who was reinstated as Pakistan’s captain.
The way it happened caused controversy because Afridi was angered by a statement on the PCB’s website that included quotes attributed to him which he didn’t actually say.
Before Pakistan’s T20I series against New Zealand, Babar held his initial press briefing in his second term as captain. Discussing his rapport with the fast bowler, he assured fans that they had an amicable relationship.
“I want to make clear that Shaheen [Afridi] and my bond is not recent, it goes back a long way,” he said.
“We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan’s name up in lights. We don’t think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team,” he further added.
It’s notable that a year ago, when rumors surfaced about Babar losing his captaincy, Afridi was among the first to support him.
Babar Azam discussed Pakistan’s recent captaincy dispute
Speaking on Usman Mir, he said, “Usman needs to keep doing the things that got him here. We put expectations on every player. I expect certain things from myself as well as my players. It pleases me when a young player gets an opportunity and the senior players back him.”
“We try and take young players under our wings because when you come to international cricket, you initially struggle and need support and confidence. And then those players go on to serve Pakistan.”
The upcoming New Zealand series will serve as a crucial test for Pakistan leading up to the T20 World Cup set to start in June. Pakistan, who finished as runners-up in the 2022 T20 World Cup, aim to secure the title this time around.
“I always believe the players we have here are here on the basis of performance. Sometimes it becomes difficult when you have so much talent at your disposal to produce a playing XI.”
”We try and do the best for Pakistan. All of this is preparation for the World Cup and it all starts tomorrow,” said Babar.
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