Pakistan captain Babar Azam is currently facing criticism for his performance in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, however, his close friend and teammate, Imam-ul-Haq, has come forward to defend him.
During a recent appearance on a local TV show, Imam-ul-Haq addressed the negative comments from veteran cricketer Ahmed Shehzad, who labeled Babar’s performance as “unimpressive.” Imam emphasized the importance of maintaining respect when discussing the team’s performance.
“He’s your captain. You don’t want to consider him as a captain, it’s fine. The world has made him the king, you haven’t,” Imam stated.
Imam highlighted Babar’s significant contributions to the team, reminding everyone that he has played 250 international matches. He argued that Babar’s recent performance should not overshadow his overall statistics and contributions to Pakistan cricket.
“Is there anyone who has been number one in Pakistan’s ODI rankings as well as in T20Is?” Imam asked, underscoring Babar’s achievements.
Imam also shared his views on Ahmed Shehzad’s harsh comments, where Shehzad compared his own statistics with Babar’s, calling him a “fake king” and criticizing his performance in powerplays during T20 World Cups.
“You [Babar] have faced 205 balls in powerplays in T20 World Cups, but you haven’t managed to hit one six!” Shehzad pointed out, further accusing Babar of damaging the domestic cricket structure to favor his friends.
In response, Imam maintained that Babar Azam remains unfazed by the criticism and is focused on his game. He urged fellow athletes to maintain respect regardless of their positions in the team.
“We are here to talk about cricket. I’m not interested in discussing Babar only; there are more things to discuss,” Imam concluded, calling for a respectful dialogue about the team and its performance.
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