Babar Azam: “I want to mention Mickey as he played an integral role in my transformation. As a cricketer, there’s a feeling that if you are not up to the mark, you might get dropped from the side, but he gave me the confidence”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Babar Azam, the Pakistan cricket captain, thanked team director Mickey Arthur for helping him transform into the batsman he is today.
Azam noted that when Arthur was Pakistan’s head coach from 2016 to 2019, he instilled a lot of confidence in him, which enabled him to lift his performances and start scoring runs consistently.
“I want to mention Mickey as he played an integral role in my transformation. As a cricketer, there’s a feeling that if you are not up to the mark, you might get dropped from the side, but he gave me the confidence,” the 28-year-old from Lahore told PCB Digital.
Recently, Azam scored 76 runs in two Test matches against Sri Lanka at an average of 25.33.
He then proceeded to make 113 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 37.66.
Currently, Azam is leading his side in the Asia Cup and has led by example with the bat as he has accumulated 168 runs in three games, which includes a top score of 151 against Nepal, at an average of 84.
Pakistan have done well in the tournament so far as they demolished Nepal by 238 runs, shared one point with India after their match was abandoned due to rain, and beaten Bangladesh by seven wickets.
The men in green’s next Super Four game will be against India on September 10 in Colombo.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 Asia Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq, Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Usama Mir, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr.
Travelling reserve: Tayyab Tahir