‘Bade Player Ho Toh World Cup Jitwa Kar Do’ – Ahmed Shehzad Challenges Babar Azam
Ahmed Shehzad has taken a brutal dig at Babar Azam ahead of T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has taken an indirect dig at national team captain Babar Azam’s leadership record in ICC tournaments.
Babar Azam has led Pakistan in five ICC tournaments, including the recent ODI World Cup 2023 in India, where they fell short of the semifinals.
Following that disappointing campaign, Babar Azam stepped down from all-format captaincy of Pakistan cricket team to focus on batting.
The reins were then handed to Shan Masood (Tests) and Shaheen Afridi (T20s). However, Shaheen Afridi’s tenure was short-lived, lasting just one series before Babar was reappointed as white-ball captain.
This upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 marks Babar’s third attempt at leading Pakistan to glory in the marquee event, having previously captained them in the 2021 and 2022 editions. All eyes will be on him, particularly after his captaincy comeback.
Ahmed Shehzad’s remarks, though not explicitly naming Babar Azam, made it clear who he was targeting. Appearing on a Pakistan talk show alongside Imam-ul-Haq, Shahzad criticized the captaincy of a player with a winless record in ICC tournaments.
“If you believe that you are a prime player and there is no one greater than you then go on and win the World Cup of Pakistan. You have already got 5 ICC tournaments to prove yourself.”
Pakistan is heading into the T20 World Cup 2024 after a disappointing series defeat against England. The four match T20 series, reduced to 2 match series, thanks to downpour, exposed Pakistan’s weakness in their batting line-up.
