Wasim Akram: “I was never upset with Babar. There are a few journalists sitting at home who are making these stories”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan left-arm seamer Wasim Akram has made it clear that he was never upset with captain Babar Azam.
He said the idea of a rift between them is laughable and insisted that all the rumours are nothing more than fake news being spread by journalists with nothing better to do.
His comments come after Azam was traded from the Karachi Kings to the Peshawar Zalmi for the recent edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The 28-year-old led the Zalmi in the tournament and finished as the second-highest run-scorer with 522 runs in 11 matches, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 52.20 and a strike-rate of 145.40.
“I was never upset with Babar. There are a few journalists sitting at home who are making these stories. Their job is to be on Twitter only. They won’t eat food, they won’t have tea, they are on Twitter 24/7. I haven’t met them even once,” Wasim, who is the Kings’ president, told Cricket Pakistan.
Azam will now captain Pakistan in their limited overs series against New Zealand, which will get underway on April 14 and consist of five T20Is and five ODIs.
Pakistan squad for T20I series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Ihsanullah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Zaman Khan
Pakistan squad for ODI series against New Zealand:Â Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haris Sohail, Ihsanullah, Imam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shan Masood and Usama Mir