Najam Sethi: “Babar Azam is the star of Pakistan. Without him the Pakistan team would be without its son of the soil. He is in our hearts and will always remain there”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi said Babar Azam is the star of the national team.
He noted that the 28-year-old plays such an integral role, not only as captain but also in relation to the fact that he is the most consistent run-scorer.
Sethi acknowledged that without Azam, the Pakistan team would be missing one of the core components that allows them to be successful.
“Babar Azam is the star of Pakistan. Without him the Pakistan team would be without its son of the soil. He is in our hearts and will always remain there,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on Twitter.
Azam recently captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he scored 522 runs in 11 matches, which included a century and four fifties, at an average of 52.20 and a strike-rate of 145.40.
He was rested for Pakistan’s ongoing three-match T20I series against Afghanistan, which is being held in Sharjah.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against Afghanistan:Â Shadab Khan (capt), Abdullah Shafique, Azam Khan (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shan Masood, Tayyab Tahir, Zaman Khan
Reserve players:Â Abrar Ahmed, Haseebullah, Usama Mir