Pakistan batsman Babar Azam: “When I was dropped, there was pressure on me and I worked hard on my weaknesses”
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Pakistan top order batsman Babar Azam has conceded that losing his place in the T20I team brought pressure but also drove him to work on his flaws.
Saeed Ajmal: “Babar Azam was let down to such an extent that people openly said he wasn’t the kind of player needed in T20Is”
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Former Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal believes batsman Babar Azam was let down so much and put under excessive pressure in T20Is.
Mohammad Rizwan: “I expect a lot more of him too because of all he has done in the past. There is obviously an additional pressure because of it and I’m sure he feels that too”
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Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan said he expects a lot more from batsman Babar Azam considering everything he has achieved in the past.
Azhar Mahmood: “If you look at Abdullah and Babar, they haven’t played much first-class cricket. When there’s pressure in Test matches, you don’t always know how to handle it. The best option is to go and play domestic cricket”
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Pakistan red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood believes batsmen Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique will benefit by playing domestic cricket.
Mohammad Haris: “I might be under a little pressure but want to face Pat Cummins, Mark Wood and Jasprit Bumrah”
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Pakistan batsman Mohammad Haris said he relishes the idea of facing three fast bowlers in particular – India’s Jasprit Bumrah, Australia’s Pat Cummins, and England’s Mark Wood.
Wasim Akram: “the whole world now knows the plan against him. They say, ‘Okay, he’ll be bowling yorkers first up.’ So Afridi needs to have a Plan B”
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Pakistan fast bowling great Wasim Akram has called out left-arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi for being too predictable when bowling and urged him to develop a “Plan B”.
Umar Gul: “When Abbas Afridi was picked and I was with the Pakistan team as a bowling coach in New Zealand, I felt more pressure than him. People often criticise players with connections, but at the end of the day, it’s the performance that speaks”
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Former Pakistan pace bowler Umar Gul has admitted that during his time as a bowling coach with the national team, he was worried his nephew Abbas Afridi would be accused of benefitting from nepotism.
Fawad Alam: “Mohammad Amir knew exactly how to get Babar Azam out, and you can clearly see the pressure Babar feels when facing him”
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Senior Pakistan cricketer Fawad Alam believes batsman Babar Azam feels pressure when facing left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir.
Tim Neilsen: “The greatest thing I learnt about Babar Azam and other players was that they are human too, they feel the pressure. They want to perform so badly for Pakistan, their families and themselves that they put a lot of pressure on themselves”
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Former Pakistan assistant coach Tim Nielsen said batsman Babar Azam is human too as he feels the pressure to perform every time.
Ramiz Raja: “Saud Shakeel’s captaincy has been instrumental throughout the PSL. Even under pressure during matches, his face shows no fear. It seems like pressure does not affect him at all”
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Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja was highly impressed with Saud Shakeel’s captaincy in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL), saying it felt like “pressure does not affect him at all”.
