Tabraiz Shamsi: “He’s a world-class player, it’s not a joke averaging fifty in international cricket, so I think those kind of things that people are saying it’s uncalled for”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Tabraiz Shamsi, the South Africa left-arm spinner, has taken aim at the critics of Pakistan captain Babar Azam, saying “it’s not a joke averaging fifty in international cricket.”
Shamsi is not impressed by people lambasting the star batsman, especially for his supposed weakness to left-arm spin.
The issue was identified during Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka in July 2023 when left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya got Azam out all three times he batted.
Even though this happened, Shamsi pointed out that the 28-year-old is a “world-class player.”
“He’s a world-class player, it’s not a joke averaging fifty in international cricket, so I think those kind of things that people are saying it’s uncalled for,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
“He’s obviously a class player and yeah at any given day any bowler can get any batsman out, and at any given day any batsman can make a hundred, so anybody that is playing at that level is very good, so I think we need to appreciate that.”
Azam’s form has been a bit turbulent as of late as he made 76 runs in the Test series against Sri Lanka at an average of 25.33.
He then featured in the three-match ODI series against Afghanistan and scored 113 runs, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 37.66.
His latest assignment was the Asia Cup, where he amassed 207 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 151, at an average of 51.75.
He is now captaining Pakistan in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup and has made scores of 5 and 10 in the team’s first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka respectively.
Despite not having much of an impact with the bat, the men in green won both matches and will now go up against India on October 14 in Ahmedabad.
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