All posts tagged: mohammad babar azam ndtv sports

“No Intention To Improve”: Shoaib Akhtar Blasts Babar Azam For Sluggish Knock In Champions Trophy Opener

“No Intention To Improve”: Shoaib Akhtar Blasts Babar Azam For Sluggish Knock In Champions Trophy Opener

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Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar criticised star batter Babar Azam for his slow and conservative knock against New Zealand in the ICC Champions Trophy opener, saying that the batter has “no intention to improve”. Babar’s sluggish approach in ODIs made headlines as he made a 90-ball 64 against NZ while chasing 321 in the Champions Trophy opener. His strike rate was extremely underwhelming at 71.11, leaving Pakistan 60 runs short of a win and their net run rate slipped to -1.20. Their next match against arch-rivals India on Sunday has become a virtual knockout. Speaking in the post-match analysis show ‘Game On Hai’ as quoted by Wisden, Shoaib said, “Babar Azam has become the product he had to become; it is visible; what can I debate about it?. You saw it (against New Zealand). There is no intention to improve.” “You cannot run a team by acting like Maula Jatt (violent Pakistani fictional character) – ‘Bring this, do this, do that’ etc. You’re not playing T20. You can play T20 cricket with T20 …

“Lock The Kit Bag Away…”: Ricky Ponting Suggests Babar Azam To Take Virat Kohli’s Way To Regain Form

“Lock The Kit Bag Away…”: Ricky Ponting Suggests Babar Azam To Take Virat Kohli’s Way To Regain Form

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Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has suggested former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam to replicate Virat Kohli’s approach in a bid to rejuvenate his lost form. Babar was rested for the last two Tests against England after his poor form. Pakistan won both matches and secured the series 2-1, the first under Shan Masood’s rein. In 55 Tests, Babar has scored 3,997 runs at an average of 43.92. However, he had not scored a Test half-century in 18 innings stretching back to late 2022 and has seen a dip in form in a year where he was made captain and then left the post after Pakistan suffered a group-stage exit in this year’s T20 World Cup in June. “The biggest challenge is how they get Babar back into their side. They’ve got to find a way to get Babar back into form and back into their (Test) team,” Ponting said in the ICC Review. Ponting went on to suggest that Babar should take some time away from the game to return recharged, the approach …

Pakistan Test Skipper Shan Masood Praises Babar Azam, Calls Him “One Of The Best Batsmen In The World”

Pakistan Test Skipper Shan Masood Praises Babar Azam, Calls Him “One Of The Best Batsmen In The World”

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Pakistan Test skipper Shan Masood showered praise on Babar Azam and called him one of the best batsmen in the world. Babar is going through a lean patch in Tests. In his last nine Tests and 17 innings, he has scored just 352 innings at an average of 20.71, with his best score being 41. In 55 Tests, Babar has scored 3,997 runs at an average of 43,92, with nine centuries and 26 fifties and best score of 196. Pakistan announced 15-member squads for white-ball series tours to Australia and Zimbabwe starting from November 4 onwards, with star batter Babar Azam being rested from the Zimbabwe tour and set to play in Australia. Masood said that nobody can say that Babar doesn’t have a future. The Pakistan Test skipper added that Babar has all the qualities to become “one of the greatest batsmen” in the long format. “I think he’s one of the best batsmen in the world. I’m nobody to [say he doesn’t have] a future. He has every quality to be …

Shaheen Afridi Refused To Be Pakistan’s Vice-Captain For T20 World Cup 2024 – Report Makes Big Claim

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The captaincy of the Pakistan cricket team has been in spotlight in the past six months or so. It first hogged limelight when Babar Azam stepped down from his role as Pakistan skipper across formats following the team’s poor campaign in Cricket World Cup 2023. After this Shan Masood was appointed as the Test captain of Pakistan and Shaheen Afridi was handed the responsibility to lead the team in the T20I format. Shaheen could stay in the role only for one series. It was a five-match contest against New Zealand that Pakistan lost 4-1 and Shaheen was sacked as the T20I captain with Babar Azam replacing him in the role. Babar led Pakistan to a 2-1 series win before the side came up against England in a four-match T20I series that is currently underway. Despite several rumours about a rift between Shaheen and Babar, things looked good in the Pakistan camp. However, a recent report has re-ignited the cliams. Shaheen refused to take up the role of Pakistan vice-captain in the T20I format …

Babar Azam’s All-Format Captaincy To Face Scrutiny In PCB Review: Report

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After a dismal home season, Pakistan cricket is preparing for a thorough evaluation of its squad structures, which may lead to changes in the captaincy. Senior staff members in the new management structure for the board have expressed a desire to let players and coaches know that they are committed to challenging the status quo if required as per ESPNcricinfo. It has not been ruled out that such a challenge may fragment the Pakistan captaincy across formats, depriving Babar Azam of some of the authority he presently has as an all-format captain. The interim selection committee was established by the present PCB administration, which is itself a provisional arrangement. Saqlain Mushtaq, the head coach of the national men’s team, is expected to resign after his contract expires in February. After the PSL comes to an end in March, the board intends to do its evaluation and make modifications. Just three weeks ago, Najam Sethi’s administration took over from Ramiz Raja, and since then, they have been aggressively examining Pakistan’s recent results and organisational structures. One …

Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan Star As Pakistan Beat New Zealand By 6 Wickets In First ODI

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Pakistan strolled to a six-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first one-day international on Monday after fast bowler Naseem Shah took five wickets in Karachi. The 19-year-old grabbed 5-57 for his second five-wicket haul in just four ODI appearances as New Zealand, sent in to bat, managed 255-9 in their 50 overs at the National Stadium. Mohammad Rizwan (77 not out), skipper Babar Azam (66) and Fakhar Zaman (56) then helped Pakistan cruise to victory with 11 balls to spare. The home team took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The remaining matches are on Wednesday and Friday, also in Karachi. Azam and Zaman put on 78 runs for the second wicket after Imam-ul-Haq (11) fell in the sixth over. Zaman hit seven boundaries in his 74-ball knock before he was bowled by Michael Bracewell, while Azam was stumped off Glenn Phillips after facing 82 deliveries. Rizwan, who added 60 with Azam, put on another 64 with Haris Sohail who made a quick-fire 32. Off-spinner Bracewell was the best New Zealand bowler with …

Babar Azam Responds To Rumours Of Not Being Consulted For ODI Squad Probables

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Ever since Ramiz Raja was sacked as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the country’s cricket governing body has undergone a series of changes over the last few weeks. While Ramiz was replaced at the helm by Najam Sethi, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was named as the interim chief selector of the side, with former cricketers Abdul Razzaq and Rao Iftikhar Anjum also joining him in the four-member panel. The interim selection committee was quick to make their presence felt as they added three players to Test squad for the series against New Zealand, as well as the announcement of probables for the ODIs. However, as per reports in the local media, captain Babar Azam and head coach Saqlain Mushtaq were not consulted before the announcement of the ODI squad probables. Having said that, Babar, who addressed the media on the eve of the second Test against New Zealand, was asked if that is indeed the case. To which, an agitated Babar replied by saying that the team is currently focusing on …

Pakistan Skipper Babar Azam Explains Shock Declaration Call Against New Zealand In Karachi Test

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Skipper Babar Azam explained the thinking behind Pakistan’s shock declaration late on day five of the Karachi Test on Friday against New Zealand. Pakistan declared late on day five with just about 15 overs of play left, setting New Zealand a target of 138. The shock declaration opened up the Test match with the visitors starting off all guns blazing to chase the target down. However, the play had to be called off early with bad light intervening in the eighth over. While Pakistan could only pick up one wicket before the Test ended in a draw, Babar said they wanted to take a “chance”. Saud Shakeel was in the middle with a half-century and was a bit taken aback by the skipper’s shock call. “We said we’d go after a result,” Babar said after the match. “We took a chance, you never know. It’s cricket. Anything can happen. Saud and [Mohammad] Wasim Junior’s partnership was vital for us because it brought us into the game. That put the idea in my head that we …

Shaheen Afridi Deletes “Wo Hamara Kaptaan Hai” Tweet A Day After Shahid Afridi Becomes Chief Selector

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File photo of Shaheen Afridi.© AFP Star batter Babar Azam has been under the scanner since Pakistan’s recent Test series defeat to England on home soil. The visitors dominated the proceedings throughout the tour, and it didn’t look at any point that Pakistan were playing in their own backyard. England won the series 3-0, which prompted several current and former Pakistan players to question Babar’s captaincy. Amid criticism, star pacer Shaheen Afridi, who has been out of action since the T20 World Cup final due to a knee injury, posted a tweet to back Babar. “Babar Azam hamari or Pakistan ki Shan, jaan or pehchan hai. Wo Hamara kaptaan hai or rahe ga. Kuch or #sochnabhimanah hai. Please support this team. Yahi team hame jitaye gi bhi. Kahani abhi Khatam nahi howi. #Respect,” Shaheen had tweeted. However, the pacer has now deleted the tweet, just a day after Shahid Afridi‘s appointment as interim chief selector of the Pakistan senior men’s team. Shaheen Shah Afridi has deleted this Tweet after announcement of Shahid Afridi as chief …

“Wo Hamara Kaptaan Hai Or Rahega”: Shaheen Afridi Backs Babar Azam After England Clean Sweep Pakistan In Test Series

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Pakistan skipper Babar Azam is facing a lot of backlash after his side suffered a 3-0 cleansweep at the hands of England national cricket team in the recent Test series between the sides. Pakistan lost to England on Tuesday in the third and final Test in Karachi by eight wickets, after going down in the first two matches by 74 runs in Rawalpindi and 26 in Multan. While the Pakistan captain himself has no intention of giving up the team captaincy despite overseeing a first-ever 3-0 Test series whitewash at home, his teammate Shaheen Afridi, who missed the series due to injury, has backed him to remain the captain of the side. “Babar Azam hamari or Pakistan ki Shan, jaan or pehchan hai. Wo Hamara kaptaan hai or rahe ga. Kuch or #sochnabhimanah hai,” said Shaheen in a tweet. “Please support this team. Yahi team hame jitaye gi bhi. Kahani abhi Khatam nahi howi. #Respect,” he added. Babar Azam hamari or Pakistan ki Shan, jaan or pehchan hai. Wo Hamara kaptaan hai or rahe ga. …