Faisal Akram: “I was bowling well at that time as well, so Babar bhai got a good ball and was dismissed. After that my confidence just skyrocketed”
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Pakistan left-arm wrist-spinner Faisal Akram said he got captain Babar Azam out with a “good ball”.
Faisal was invited to Pakistan’s training camp ahead of the national team’s departure for their tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
The 17-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise as he previously was part of Pakistan’s U-16 team.
Recently, he was the highest wicket-taker in the 2020/21 National U-19 One Day Cup as he took 27 wickets in 10 matches for Southern Punjab Under-19s at an average of 14.33.
When being called up to Pakistan’s training camp, Faisal got the opportunity to bowl to Azam, who he described as a “world-class player”.
The teenage spin sensation ended up trapping Azam lbw with a delivery that turned back sharply and said his “confidence just skyrocketed” after that.
“He [Babar] is a world-class player, so I was under a little bit of pressure early on. But Waqar [Younis] bhai, who was standing beside me as an umpire, gave me confidence and said that I can do it,” Faisal told Cricket Pakistan.
“I was bowling well at that time as well, so Babar bhai got a good ball and was dismissed. After that my confidence just skyrocketed.”
Azam is currently with the Pakistan team on their tour of South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Pakistan will play three ODIs and four T20 Internationals against South Africa before heading to Zimbabwe for two Tests and three T20 Internationals.
Pakistan’s tour of South Africa commenced on April 2 and will conclude on April 16. The ODI series will be played first.
The men in green will then head to Zimbabwe on April 17 and play the three-match T20 series from April 21 to 25 in Harare.
Both Tests will take place at the same venue, with the first match starting on April 29 and the second Test getting underway on May 7.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the national team will travel back to Lahore from Harare on May 12.
Pakistan’s Test Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dhani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan.
Pakistan’s ODI Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali.
Pakistan’s T20 Squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali, Arshad Iqbal.