Babar Azam: “We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan’s name up in lights. We don’t think of individual glory”
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Pakistan limited overs captain Babar Azam said he and left-arm fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi don’t prioritise “individual glory” over the team.
He noted that he and Afridi are fully committed to leading the men in green to victory as they want the team’s “name up in lights.”
Azam’s return as captain came after Afridi was stripped of the leadership role in T20Is, but he stressed that there is no bad blood between himself and the 24-year-old.
“I want to make clear that Shaheen [Afridi] and my bond is not recent, it goes back a long way. We support each other in every situation. Our aim is to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan’s name up in lights. We don’t think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently captained Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand, which ended as a 2-2 draw.
The 29-year-old scored 125 runs in five games, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
As for Afridi, he took eight wickets in four matches at an average of 10 and an economy rate of 7.38.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14.
After that, they will play four T20Is against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
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