Pakistan captain Babar Azam: “When I was not performing well in Test cricket, Mickey Arthur backed and supported me a lot. This greatly benefitted me”
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Pakistan captain Babar Azam revealed that former head coach Mickey Arthur supported him a lot early on in his career.
Azam’s comments about Arthur come ahead of the tour of New Zealand, where his side will play three T20 Internationals and two Tests.
The 26-year-old has been in sensational form as of late as he made scores of 19, 77 not out and 125 in the ODI series against Zimbabwe, and followed it up by making 82 and 51 in the first two T20 Internationals. He didn’t bat in the third match of the series.
He continued to shine in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs as he scored 65 in the Qualifier and 63 not out in the final to lead the Karachi Kings to their first-ever title.
Azam admitted that Arthur’s constant backing “benefitted me” and helped transform him into the player he is today.
“All players can’t perform in every match. The ones who are not performing need to be backed. When I was not performing well in Test cricket, Mickey Arthur backed and supported me a lot. This greatly benefitted me,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“I have continued to improve from thereon. I will try for big innings in New Zealand as well. We will all try our best and the result is in God’s hands.”
Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand will begin on December 18 and conclude on January 7.