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WATCH: Shaheen Afridi defends Babar Azam’s lack of form ahead of T20I series against New Zealand

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11 months ago

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Pakistan T20I skipper Shaheen Afridi has defended his former skipper Babar Azam’s poor form with the bat. In the ODI World Cup, the latter was the 25th-highest run-getter with only 320 runs in nine games averaging 40. After the tournament, he left the captaincy of the team across all forms of the game.

“I vividly remember the moment when I received the call from PCB to lead Pakistan in 2019. Over the past four years, I’ve experienced many highs and lows on and off the field, but I wholeheartedly and passionately aimed to maintain Pakistan’s pride and respect in the cricket world,” Babar said in a statement announcing his decision. “Reaching the No. 1 spot in the white-ball format was a result of the collective efforts of players, coaches, and management but I’d like to express my gratitude to passionate Pakistan cricket fans for their unwavering support during this journey.

Babar Azam failed with the bat against Australia 

During the three-match Test series in Australia, he had a forgettable series. The 2017 Champions Trophy winner managed only 126 runs. Meanwhile, ahead of the five-match Test series against New Zealand, Babar’s place in the team is questioned. However, current skipper has backed his former captain.

Pakistan T20I squad vs New Zealand

Shaheen Afridi (c), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (vc), Mohammad Wasim Jr., Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir, Zaman Khan.

NZ squad for Pakistan T20Is

Kane Williamson (capt) (except game 3), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Josh Clarkson (game 3 only), Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ben Sears (games 1 & 2), Lockie Ferguson (games 3, 4 & 5)
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