Pakistan National Cricket Team’s red ball captain Shan Masood has taken a bold decision regarding the form of the struggling superstar. Babar Azam.
Babar, 29, is arguably the best batsman to come out of Pakistan in the last decade. He has broken numerous major records in T20Is, ODIs as well as Tests and his numbers speak volumes for his dominance across formats.
However, the batter is currently going through a lean patch. He has not been able to advance and his career is on the decline. As a blow, Babar Azam is facing heavy criticism and to make matters worse, his captaincy has also come under the scanner.
Pakistan have struggled in white-ball cricket under Babar Azam, who recently announced his decision to step down from the role to focus on his batting.
Meanwhile, speaking ahead of the upcoming Pakistan-England series, red ball captain Shan Masood has backed Babar Azam, saying the batsman is among the best players in the world and is out of form.
Shan Masood added that Babar Azam did well in the recently concluded Champions One Day Trophy and he will carry that confidence into the England Test series.
“Babar Azam is one of the best batsmen in the world. You need to give your players time, not just Babar Azam. Babar doesn’t look fit, he starts,” said Masud. “There was a gap of 10 months between the Australia and Bangladesh Tests, which does not help us. He played some long innings in the Champions (One Day) Trophy where he absorbed the pressure and shifted gears. This may help him in the Tests now. He is undoubtedly the team’s number one attacker.”
Notably, Babar Azam has scored 230 runs in four games at an average of 76.66 and a half century at a strike rate of nearly 99 in the Champions One Day Trophy 2024.
Shan Masood Breaks Silence On Lack Of Unity In Pakistan Team
Shan Masood also addressed the reports and rumors about the lack of unity in the Pakistan Team. He said his main goal was to keep the dressing room healthy and denied reports of a lack of unity.
“Each captain has his own style. I try to keep the atmosphere in the dressing room good; that’s my main concern. I’ve never seen the boys not showing unity or effort. There are some cricketing aspects of how we have to do it. It’s getting better, but I have no complaints about the unity.” , – concluded Shan Masud.
The Pakistan National Cricket Team will next be seen in a three-match home Test series against the England National Cricket Team. Both the teams have already announced their strong squads and the series is expected to be exciting.
The Green Men will be aiming to beat England and give the fans some joy after their shock Test series defeat against the Bangladesh National Cricket Team a couple of weeks ago.
