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Afghanistan's wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz went down memory lane to the World Cup 2023 when former Pakistan captain Babar Azam generously gifted him a bat. This gesture occurred after Afghanistan secured an eight-wicket victory over Pakistan at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
Gurbaz, who contributed 65 runs off 53 balls with nine fours and a six, revealed that Babar was deeply moved to the point of being 'on the verge of tears.' Gurbaz also commended Babar for maintaining resilience despite Pakistan facing challenges during the mega event on Indian soil.
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"That moment I will never forget about Babar. We beat Pakistan, and then I asked for his bat. Once he brought the bat, he was so disappointed and I can feel as a player. I can feel that you know, when you lost the game and then this, especially in this kind of situation. He was under so much pressure.
"I remember that I also felt emotional, he is one of the best players, one of the best captains," Gurbaz was quoted as saying.
"Trust me, I was trying not to say this in front of the camera, but I want to say that he was about to cry. He was so dejected, and I have never seen any player like that. Everyone was against him. But I salute Babar bhai, he was so strong and he kept going. He never gave up," Gurbaz added.
Currently, Gurbaz is participating in the ongoing edition of the T10 League for the New York Strikers at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Meanwhile, Babar has resigned from the captaincy for all three formats in Pakistan. He is presently in Pakistan and is gearing up to play in the three-match Test series against Australia under the captaincy of Shan Masood.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) appointed left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Afridi as the captain for the T20 format. This decision comes ahead of Pakistan's upcoming five-match T20 series in New Zealand in January, following their tour of Australia. The PCB said that the new captain for the One Day International (ODI) format will be announced in due course.
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