Salman Ali Agha: “Babar Azam and I used to play cricket together at the school level. He played for Muslim Model School and I used to represent Central Model School. Our teams used to play matches against each other, and that’s where our friendship began”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan T20I captain Salman Ali Agha said he and star batsman Babar Azam used to play school cricket together and have been friends for a long time.
Zaka Ashraf: “No, the unity didn’t end (after removing Babar Azam as captain). In fact, the unity improved”
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Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Zaka Ashraf has insisted that the friendship between limited overs captain Babar Azam and left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi isn’t strained.
Hasan Ali: “This is the national team, it’s not a gali mohalla team. You only get picked if you perform, it’s not about friendships”
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Pakistan speedster Hasan Ali has made it clear that getting selected in the national team is based on performance and not on friendships.
Usman Qadir: “It is not my job to say that Shadab [Khan] did not perform. Whichever player you don’t like, you say that he is playing on friendship quota”
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Usman Qadir has refused to talk bad about fellow Pakistan spinner Shadab Khan, saying it is not his job to say the 25-year-old hasn’t performed well.
Sarfraz Nawaz: “Hasan has no place in the team. In fact, even a domestic team would think twice before giving him an opportunity in the playing XI. His speed and overall utility is not worthy of consideration in the playing XI”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan seamer Sarfraz Nawaz has put veteran fast bowler Hasan Ali in his crosshairs, saying he “has no place in the team”.
Rashid Latif: “No matter how much friendship there is, Babar has taken revenge [against Shaheen]”
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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Rashid Latif believes Babar Azam “has taken revenge” against Shaheen Shah Afridi after being reappointed as limited overs captain.
Shadab Khan: “Hasan has gone to a new franchise with Shan Masood. With Islamabad, Karachi suits him too as a franchise given the nature he has. It was a tough decision, but we couldn’t do anything about it, so we let him go”
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Islamabad United captain Shadab Khan said he had no choice but to let Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali go ahead of the 2024 Pakistan Super League (PSL).
Usama Mir: “Now everyone is saying he’s in the team due to ‘friendship’ and other stuff. It is nonsense”
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Usama Mir has vehemently denied that limited overs vice-captain Shadab Khan is in the Pakistan team due to “friendship”, calling it utter “nonsense.”
Usman Qadir on Babar Azam: “In fact, Babar’s friendship has caused me more harm than benefit because that has always added extra pressure on both of us equally”
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Usman Qadir, the Pakistan spinner, believes that his friendship with captain Babar Azam has “caused me more harm than benefit.”
Shadab Khan: “There’s no space for friendships in [the] Pakistan team. If that was the case, then wouldn’t Babar have preferred his brothers to play in the team?”
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Shadab Khan, the Pakistan spinner, said if friendships existed in the national team, captain Babar Azam would pick his brothers to play.
