Wasim Akram: “Babar Azam is our star player”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Iconic fast bowler Wasim Akram hasn’t given up on Babar Azam, saying the frontline batsman is still Pakistan’s “star player.”
Azam recently returned as Pakistan’s limited overs captain and is under huge pressure to deliver with the bat and ensure the men in green win matches regularly.
Even though the 29-year-old is carrying a lot of weight on his shoulders, Wasim has thrown his support behind him and backed the Lahore native to achieve great success.
“Babar Azam is our star player,” he said on A Sports as quoted by NDTV.
Azam recently led Pakistan in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand and made 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
He then featured in the three-match T20I series against Ireland and accumulated 132 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 148.31.
After this, the Lahore-born batsman finished with 68 runs in two T20Is against England at an average of 34 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
Pakistan will now take part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is being held in the West Indies and United States of America.
The men in green’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed