Shahid Afridi: “I rate Babar Azam very highly and so does the world”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he rates batsman Babar Azam very highly and noted that the whole world agrees with him.
Azam has been Pakistan’s most consistent run-scorer for a few years, but his form has dipped quite a bit over the last couple of months.
During the three-Test series against Australia, which Pakistan lost 3-0, the 29-year-old was limited to 126 runs at an average of 21.
However, he did show encouraging signs during the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, where he made 213 runs, which included three fifties, at an average of 42.60 and a strike-rate of 142.
“I rate Babar Azam very highly and so does the world,” Afridi was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Despite Azam’s efforts with the bat, Pakistan lost the T20I series 4-1.
He will now captain the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL), which starts on February 17.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 9: Babar Azam (captain), Rovman Powell, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris, Aamer Jamal, Khurram Shahzad, Haseebullah Khan, Asif Ali, Naveen-ul-Haq, Umair Afridi, Dan Mousley, Mohammad Zeeshan, Lungi Ngidi, Mehran Mumtaz, Noor Ahmad, Salman Irshad, Arif Yaqoob