Pakistan's red-ball captain Shan Masood threw his weight behind embattled batting maestro Babar Azam. Despite a recent dip in form, Masood remains confident that Babar will soon return to his dominant best.
Shan Masood comes in Babar Azam's support
Babar, who recently stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball captain has undoubtedly been one of Pakistan's most outstanding cricketers in the past decade. His exceptional performances across all formats, including T20Is, ODIs, and Tests, have earned him widespread recognition and admiration.
However, Babar has been experiencing a challenging period, struggling to find his rhythm and consistently contribute significant runs to the team. This decline in form has led to increased scrutiny and criticism from fans and experts alike. Moreover, his captaincy abilities have also come under question, adding to the pressure he faces.
Pakistan didn't perform well as expected in white-ball cricket under Babar's reign. Recognising the need to focus on his batting, Babar recently announced his decision to step down as the captain of the white-ball team.
Ahead of the upcoming Pakistan vs England series, red-ball captain Shan Masood expressed his unwavering support for Babar Azam. Masood emphasised that Babar is one of the world's finest players and dismissed the notion that he is out of form.
'Babar Azam is Pakistan's no.1 batter for sure'
Masood then highlighted Babar's impressive show in the recently concluded Champions One-day Cup, stating that he will carry this confidence into the upcoming England Test series.
“Babar Azam is among the world’s best batters. You have to give your players time, not just Babar Azam. Babar doesn’t look out of form, he’s getting starts. There was a 10-month gap between the Australia and Bangladesh Tests, which doesn’t help us. He played some long innings in the Champions [One-Day] Cup where he absorbed pressure and changed gears. That might help him in Tests now. He’s the team’s number one batter for sure,” Masood said in the press conference.
Babar displayed an exceptional performance in the Champions One-day Cup 2024, scoring 230 runs in four games at an impressive average of 76.66 and a strike rate of almost 99. His innings included a century and a half-century.
Shan Masood also addressed the circulating rumors and reports regarding a lack of unity within the Pakistan team. He clarified that his primary objective is to maintain a positive and harmonious dressing room environment, dismissing any suggestions of disunity.
"Every captain has their own style. I focus on keeping the environment in the dressing room well; that is my primary concern. I have never seen a lack of unity or effort by the boys. There are some cricketing aspects to how we need to improve, but I have no complaints regarding unity," Masood signed off.
