Imam-ul-Haq has defended skipper Babar Azam after former star Ahmed Shehzad lashed out at him for his horrendous show in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Pakistan star cricketer Imam-ul-Haq has defended skipper Babar Azam after former star Ahmed Shehzad lashed out at him for his horrendous show in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024. Iman, who is the main panellist in the Geo Show with the name ‘Haarna Mana Hai’ alongside former openers Ahmed Shehzad and Imran Nazir, comes up with some audacious statements to defend the 29-year-old cricketer.
The opening batter stated that Babar Azam should be treated with respect despite his poor performance in the ongoing marquee event. He acknowledged that the Pakistani side should have at least won against India after restricting them to a modest 119 before being bundled out. However, the 28-year-old analyst feels that an element of respect should not be ignored for the Pakistan skipper.
“Everyone has the right to criticize the Pakistan team. But the respect element should never go away. He is your captain. The world has made him a King so it doesn’t make a difference if you consider him that or not. If you want to remove him as a captain then do it, but the respect element should never go away,” Imam-ul-Haq said.
The Multan-born cricketer further stated that he has played over 250 games, and one should not only talk about his last few games. In addition, the left-handed batter also spoke up about the great batting performance of the Pakistan skipper, which gave him the top spot in the ODI rankings. Imam agreed that the Pakistan skipper was answerable for the lack of performance he delivered in the T20 World Cup 2024.
“He (Babar) has played 250 international games for Pakistan. You are showing stats of 20 games, but who will give a response to his average of fifty across formats? If anyone else has it then show it here. Is there anyone else from Pakistan who has been No.1 batter in the rankings?,” he added further.
Talking about their stint, the Pakistan team had an awful start to their campaign as they suffered a defeat against the USA in the opening game. The side failed to chase down the target in the super over. In addition, Babar Azam and Co. restricted India to a modest 119 runs in 19 overs. However, the Men in Green failed to chase down the target and fell short by six runs, which puts them on the brink of elimination.
Meanwhile, Babar Azam and Co. are now set to face Ireland in the final Group A game of the 2024 T20 World Cup and will need a great win over them. On the other hand, the Men in Green need to hope that the USA loses against Ireland to qualify for the Super 8’s stage along with India.
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