Captain of Pakistan cricket team, Babar Azam has said that he plays as per demand of the situation and don’t care much about the run rat.
Responding to criticism regarding his batting strike rate, he said that he tries to perform to best of his abilities but yet some critics remain in search for instance to criticize him.
Babar Azam and maintained that he always in-tends to win the match for his team rather concen-trating on his personal interests during the match.
“You cannot satisfy someone all the time, I am only focused on how to win matches for my team. How I have to build the innings, and how I have to maintain my strike rate, is my concern,” Azam said.
“See, strike rate is a different story, building an innings, and winning a match are two different things. When you win a match, then both things are covered,” he added.
The star batter emphasized that he adapts his batting style according to the match situation, as some matches require a cautious approach.
“Sometimes you cannot play freely because you have to build the innings, and you have wickets in hand, you can play with a 200-strike rate as well,” Azam stated.
Babar Azam also explained that every player has a different approach and role, but some people always take issue with his batting style.
“I cannot understand why people have issues with my strike rate, they will say it is 150. It should be 170. If I play with 170, they will say it should have been 200. Every player has his own playing style, I don’t like to compare myself with anyone.”
As the T20 World Cup 2024 looms ever closer with particular focus on Pakistan-India clash on 9 June in New York, Babar Azam, who was recently reappointed as captain of the national cricket team, picked teammate Naseem Shah as his top choice for bowling in the death overs.
In a podcast interview, Babar Azam added a fresh twist to the historic rivalry between Pakistan and India by weighing in on a crucial aspect of the game and choosing the better death bowler between Pakistan’s rising star Naseem Shah and India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah.
When posed with the hypothetical scenario of needing to defend 10 runs off the final over of a T20 match, Babar wasted no time in making his pick, unequivocally siding with his compatriot Naseem. He didn’t shy away from explaining his choice, highlighting Naseem’s remarkable return to form after injury and praising his exceptional skills as a rare talent in Pakistani cricket.
“The way he came back after injury… his skills are exceptional. We don’t often see talent like this in Pakistan,” Babar Azam remarked, shedding light on Naseem Shah’s remarkable journey and the promise he holds for the future of Pakistani cricket.
It’s important to note that while Babar endorsed Naseem’s prowess, Bumrah is considered one of the best all-format bowlers in the world.—INP
