Babar Azam: “There has been a lot of criticism on the spinners (Shadab and Nawaz). They have had a few bad days but they are not ordinary players”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan captain Babar Azam has brushed off criticism about spinners Shadab Khan and Mohammad Nawaz, saying “they are not ordinary players.”
Shadab and Nawaz haven’t been anywhere near their best for the past couple of months, which has been a major area of concern for the men in green.
What’s more worrying is that they haven’t been able to contribute with many wickets in the ongoing 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India.
Shadab has taken two wickets in five games at an average of 90 and an economy rate of 6.42, while Nawaz has also picked up two wickets in the same number of matches, but at an average of 111.50 and an economy rate of 5.89.
Even though their impact has been relatively low, Azam has backed them to rediscover their form in the near future.
“There has been a lot of criticism on the spinners (Shadab and Nawaz). They have had a few bad days but they are not ordinary players,” he was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Pakistan began their World Cup campaign on a high as they took down the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before faltering against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
After four straight losses, the men in green finally recovered by beating Bangladesh and New Zealand.
With their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup semi-finals still alive, Pakistan will be keen to secure another massive win when they go up against England on November 11 in Kolkata.
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
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