Omair Bin Yousuf: “Babar’s ability to play fast bowlers with ease and the brilliant way in which Shoaib uses his feet to play spinners are qualities that I admire and want to emulate as well”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Omair Bin Yousuf said he admires one thing in particular about Pakistan captain Babar Azam and veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik.
He noted that he is a big fan of the way Azam plays fast bowlers “with ease”, which is something that is not easy to do.
As for Malik, the 24-year-old pointed out that the 41-year-old’s foot movement when taking on spinners is “brilliant.”
“Babar’s ability to play fast bowlers with ease and the brilliant way in which Shoaib uses his feet to play spinners are qualities that I admire and want to emulate as well,” Yousuf told PakPassion.
Azam has been in solid form lately as he scored 76 runs at an average of 25.33 in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka, which the men in green won 2-0.
He then amassed 113 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 37.66. Pakistan ended up winning that series 3-0.
Recently, he led Pakistan in the Asia Cup, where he accumulated 207 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 151, at an average of 51.75.
Under his captaincy, the men in green beat Nepal by 238 runs, shared one point apiece with India as their match was rained off, and defeated Bangladesh by seven wickets.
However, Pakistan’s unbeaten run came to an end when they faced India again in the Super Fours as the men in blue crushed them by 228 runs.
Despite this, Pakistan still had a chance to make it to the Asia Cup final, but failed to do so as they lost to Sri Lanka by two wickets via the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method (DLS) method.
Their next assignment will be the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India, which will begin on October 5.
Pakistan’s first game will be against the Netherlands on October 6 in Hyderabad.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali