Abdullah Shafique: “To watch Babar’s hard work and dedication to his game is an education”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Abdullah Shafique said Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s “hard work and dedication to his game” is a lesson that everyone can learn from.
Azam has been the national team’s most consistent run-scorer across all three formats despite having additional pressure on his shoulders in regard to the captaincy.
Given the high expectations he has to live up to all the time, Shafique conceded that it is impressive to see how he keeps surpassing it over and over again.
“To watch Babar’s hard work and dedication to his game is an education,” Shafique was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently made 76 runs in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Sri Lanka at an average of 25.33.
He then went on to amass 113 runs in three ODIs against Afghanistan, which included two fifties, at an average of 37.66.
Most recently, he featured in the Asia Cup and finished with 207 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 151, at an average of 51.75.
Currently, both Azam and Shafique are taking part in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, with the Pakistan skipper having made scores of 5 and 10 in the first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka.
As for Shafique, he was called up as a replacement for regular opener Fakhar Zaman for the Sri Lanka game.
The 23-year-old from Sialkot made the most of his opportunity as he smashed a career-best 113, which came off 103 balls and included 10 boundaries and three sixes.
With Pakistan having won both their matches, they will look to make it three wins in a row when they face 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