Usman Qadir on Babar Azam: “People often claim that I have been into the team on the basis of friendship – which is wrong. I hereby want to clarify that Babar didn’t bring me in [the] Pakistan team”
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Usman Qadir has made it clear that his friendship with Pakistan captain Babar Azam wasn’t what got him picked in the national team.
He even went as far as saying that it wasn’t the 28-year-old who included him in the squad.
Qadir was forced to defend himself after the spinner regularly heard people making the claim that the only reason he got selected was the fact that he was friends with Azam.
“People often claim that I have been into the team on the basis of friendship – which is wrong. I hereby want to clarify that Babar didn’t bring me in [the] Pakistan team,” the 29-year-old leg-spinner was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“Everyone must be aware when a player is appointed as a captain for the first time; he really doesn’t have any authority. Also, he cannot induct players of his own liking, either. Babar is my friend – my childhood friend – but out of the ground.
“There is no sort of acquaintances in the ground – it depicts otherwise. It is not fair to blame the other person that their inclusion in the team is based on friendship and not on the basis of their skill or talent.”
Pakistan will now face Sri Lanka in a two-Test series, which will take place in Galle and Colombo from July 16 to 28.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka Test Series:Â Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (vc & wk), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Muhammad Huraira, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood