Babar Azam

Watch: Calling Babar Azam ‘king’ is like a click-bait YouTube thumbnail, says former Pakistan captain Salman Butt | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

Captain Babar Azam and the Pakistan team continue to draw flak for their lackluster show in the ongoing T20 World Cup, where the team’s hopes of progressing to the ‘Super 8’ stage are not anymore in their hands alone. The 2009 champions faced a shocking defeat to USA in their opening match, which they lost in ‘Super Over’ tiebreaker. It followed a defeat against traditional rivals India after being in the winning position for 32 of the 40 overs in the match. T20 WORLD CUP: Schedule | Points Table The team came back to beat Canada in their next match, but with two points from three matches and just a game against Ireland left to play, Pakistan now also require other results to be in their favour to finish second in the group and advance to the next round. This has led to Pakistan’s former players lambasting captain Babar and his team. In another such video on social media, former Pakistan captain Salman Butt could be seen taking Babar & Co to task.“There is self proclamation that our captain is the king and the other is world’s best fast bowler,” said Butt, with his fingers perhaps pointing towards seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi. “Sometimes we compare this guy with (Jasprit) Bumrah and him (Babar) with (Virat) Kohli…Okay, you touched ICC (top) ranking at one point, but also touch reality sometime. Are you able to win a match on your own? Is there a standing of our team?“It’s similar to those YouTube thumbnails that you are enticed to click and open once.”WATCH VIDEO Butt added that some of the decisions taken in Pakistan cricket are influenced by social media campaigns. “Besides its good things, one bad thing about social media is that you can get anything done by paid campaigns…your decisions are based on paid campaigns,” Butt said. “We should bring these self-proclaimed greats back on earth and (tell them to) stay who they are. First win a match, a big tournament, fight it out to win against a big team, finish a match single-handedly, then think what you want to proclaim,” a visibly angry Butt added. He said that there is no comparison with India at the moment, who have grown with the game and are mentally a much tougher unit now. “India is very different from us…Their mental superiority is winning them matches…Because of being consistent, because of playing tougher teams, playing better cricket and giving better results, mentally they are accustomed now. They don’t feel the pressure now like they used to earlier,” said Butt. “But we haven’t grown. There are changes in cricket every year, but we are not growing with that, so we are getting weaker. The other teams are growing, mentally as well.”

Babar Azam worried as kid starts crying more after he gifts him gloves: ‘I saw him in India vs Pakistan match…’

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

Pakistan captain Babar Azam shared a wholesome moment with a boy during the T20 World Cup matches against India and Canada at the Nassau County Cricket Stadium in New York. Pakistan started their campaign in Dallas, Texas, where they suffered a shock defeat to the USA and then moved to New York for their next two matches against India and Canada. That is where the boy attracted Babar’s attention. Pakistan captain Babar Azam tries to console a kid Babar said he first met the boy during the match against India. He noticed him crying during the national anthem and tried to comfort him. “I met this kid during the India vs Pakistan match. After the anthem, he came to me and started crying. I got worried. I asked if anyone said anything to him. Then he said he is a fan,” Babar told presenter Sanjana Ganeshan in an interview for ICC. Date mein Crickit, late mein Crickit! Catch the game anytime, anywhere on Crickit. Find out how The Pakistan captain said the boy did the same thing in the match against Canada. “He did the same thing today (against Canada). He was standing in the line and crying. We all have experienced this. When you meet a star, the excitement is at a different level.” When Sanjana, who is also the wife of India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, asked about his gesture of gifting his gloves to the kid, Babar said: “I thought if he is such a big fan then I should also have some responsibility to give him something as a gift. Something memorable. I had my gloves in my hands. I gave him that. He got very excited and started crying even more. I told him not to worry. Then, while crying, he requested me to sign it,” Babar added. Babar Azam was relieved to have logged their first win in the T20 World Cup on Tuesday, and said they couldn’t complete their chase of 107 in lesser number of overs because of a difficult pitch. Having suffered back-to-back defeats against USA and India in their first two Group A matches, the game against Canada was a must-win tie for Pakistan. Chasing a modest target, Pakistan rode on Mohammad Rizwan’s run-a-ball unbeaten 53 and Babar’s 33 to get over the line in 17.3 overs. “Good for us, we need this win. We started well with the bowling, in the first six overs we know we had to be up to the mark,” Babar said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Pakistan’s Mohammad Rizwan equals Rohit Sharma’s big T20I record | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s top-order batter Mohammad Rizwan equalled India captain Rohit Sharma‘s remarkable record of most half-centuries as an opener in T20 internationals on Tuesday. Rizwan achieved the feat during Pakistan’s commanding seven-wicket triumph over Canada in the T20 World Cup encounter at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium.T20 World Cup Schedule | Points TablePakistan’s prolific wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan and India’s illustrious skipper Rohit have both amassed an impressive tally of 30 fifties as openers in the dynamic 20-over format.Rizwan achieved this significant milestone in just 71 innings, while Rohit required 118 innings to reach the same landmark. During Pakistan’s emphatic win over Canada, Rizwan also inadvertently set an unwanted record in the T20 World Cup as he registered the slowest fifty (by balls faced) in the prestigious event. The 32-year-old veteran consumed 52 deliveries to reach his half-century on Tuesday against Canada in New York. South Africa’s hard-hitting batsman David Miller had the unwanted record before him, having scored a 50-ball half-century against the Netherlands in this year’s T20 World Cup. Pakistan’s charismatic captain Babar Azam occupies the third position on the chart, having scored an outstanding 28 fifties as an opener in T20Is. Meanwhile, Australia’s explosive batter David Warner has smashed an impressive 27 half-centuries as an opener after featuring in 98 T20I innings.(With inputs from ANI)

T20 World Cup: Pakistan didn’t play well in all three departments, says Babar Azam | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago06 mins

NEW DELHI: In their T20 World Cup opening match in Dallas on Thursday, Pakistan lost to the USA in the Super Over. Captain Babar Azam later acknowledged that his team did not play at its best in all three areas of the game.Pakistan had a difficult start, losing three wickets in the powerplay to finish at 30 for 3. The innings was then stabilized by a 72-run partnership off 48 balls between Babar Azam and Shadab Khan.In spite of their best efforts, the USA held Pakistan to 159/7 before matching the total and winning the Super Over to cause a significant upset.T20 WORLD CUP: SCHEDULE | POINTS TABLEBabar said that Pakistan was unsatisfactory with their batting towards the end of the match, having failed miserably in the Powerplay and bowling slowly in the middle overs. Then, in the middle overs, they failed to take wickets with spin because they did not carry out their early plans to bowl quickly.“To be honest, whenever you lose a game, you are always upset. We did not play well in all three departments. For six overs, I think we did not capitalise properly, but later on, after the 10th over we got momentum, but again we lost too many wickets and then your momentum is gone. So, I think as a batting unit we need to step it up in the middle and in the end,” Babar said after the match.After losing three wickets in the Powerplay, Babar helped his team recover by scoring 44 from 43 balls. He acknowledged that the game changed when Pakistan lost consecutive wickets.“The first six overs, the ball was holding and was swinging. But later on, I didn’t feel it was a different wicket. It settled down a bit. Because of the early start – the matches are starting at 10.30 am – the fast bowlers will get a little help. There was some juice in the pitch early morning. So, they utilised that and executed their plan. It was difficult in the beginning, but we covered it.“I think when we lost the wickets back-to-back, that was the turning point. But as a professional, you have to step up against such a team in the batting… in the middle order. This condition is not an excuse…they played well, but I think we played badly,” he added.Mohammad Amir conceded eighteen runs in the Super Over, which the USA won with a boundary off the last ball of the normal overs. Pakistan lost several unnecessary extras due to wides and a series of overthrows.The Pakistan captain credited USA’s batters Aaron Jones and Harmeet Singh for their aggressive running between the wickets. “He (Amir) is an experienced bowler, he knows how to bowl and we are just trying to field the ball. But I think the US batsmen were a bit smart, when the ball was coming to the keeper he was running. So, I think that was a plus point for the batters in the Super Over.”Pakistan will next take on bitter rivals India on Sunday in New York. Babar also stated that even though they lost to the United States, they would not be changing their ball-based death-over tactics for that crucial encounter.“The plan is simple: We try to hit yorkers and we are not changing any plans because the ball is reversing and our bowlers are very accurate, so our play will not be any different,” he concluded.(With IANS inputs)

Best fantasy picks for USA vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 match – India TV

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Image Source : AP USA began their maiden T20 World Cup campaign with a solid win against Canada and will be looking to upset Pakistan in their second game in Dallas USA cricket team, the co-hosts of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, kicked off their campaign with a come-from-behind victory against their oldest rivals Canada in Dallas on the opening day of the tournament. The way Aaron Jones and Andries Gous chased down 197 runs from being 48/2 in eight overs showed that USA have the capability to win games at this level and it won’t be a surprise if they topple one of two more fancied sides and hence, Pakistan wouldn’t want to take them lightly. Pakistan are coming off a 2-0 loss against England and hence will be a little short on confidence but a win against the co-hosts on Thursday, June 6, could help them attain some momentum before the much-anticipated game against India a few days later. Pakistan will need to get their batting order and intent right to be able to win games in the format as they have been inconsistent of late. Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan will need to lead by example for the bowlers to follow as they have a sensational bowling attack. USA will hope that they stay true to their captain’s words of playing with same intent irrespective of the opposition. My Dream11 team for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Match No 11, USA vs PAK Aaron Jones, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman (vc), Corey Anderson, Andries Gous, Harmeet Singh, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf (c), Ali Khan, Shaheen Afridi Squads United States: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel(w/c), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Corey Anderson, Nitish Kumar, Harmeet Singh, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Jasdeep Singh, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar, Milind Kumar, Nosthush Kenjige, Nisarg Patel, Shayan Jahangir Pakistan: Babar Azam(c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan(w), Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Imad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed

‘Team ka satyanash kar diya hai’: Ramiz Raja pulls no punches after Pakistan’s T20I series loss against England | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago05 mins

NEW DELHI: Ramiz Raja, the former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), criticized the team’s management after their 2-0 loss in the T20I series against England, which took place right before the T20 World Cup.In the 4th T20I at Kennington Oval, England dominated Pakistan in every aspect of the game, successfully chasing down a target of 158 with more than four overs remaining.Pakistan’s performance was hindered by a lack of power in their middle order and the absence of magic from their pace bowlers while defending their target.Ramiz expressed his worries about the experimentation within Pakistan’s white-ball setup. He once again castigated the management for the repercussions that have resulted from their decision to experiment.“They should stop experimenting with the team. Go into a game with a proper combination. You need to get out of the phobia of strike rate because you don’t have that kind of players. Aapne is team ka satyanash kar diya hai (You have completely made a cock-up of this team),” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel.Ramiz has openly expressed his views regarding the decision to introduce Saim Ayub as an opening batsman. This change in the batting lineup disrupted the highly successful partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, which was implemented during Mohammad Hafeez’s brief tenure as the director of cricket for Pakistan.Since Ayub’s inclusion at the top of the batting order, his performance has been underwhelming. Moreover, Pakistan’s middle-order batsmen have also encountered difficulties in accumulating runs during crucial moments of the game, further compounding the team’s batting woes.“You have ruined the team by breaking the opening pair (of Babar and Rizwan). The role of the middle order is not defined. You have put all-rounders in the middle and two wicket-keepers are playing. You are changing the fast bowlers. Your spinners don’t spin the ball and don’t have the confidence. You put Imad Wasim out of the playing XI. There is no sideways movement and you have completely dismantled the team just before the T20 World Cup,” he added.In the recent T20I series against New Zealand, Ayub faced a tough time finding his form initially. However, he displayed promising improvement by delivering a brisk innings of 45 runs off 29 balls in the first match. Throughout the four matches against the Blackcaps, the 21-year-old managed to accumulate 52 runs at an average of 14.25, with his highest score being 32 in the series.Before Ayub’s inclusion, Babar and Rizwan had been the mainstays as openers for the Pakistani team, forming one of the most formidable opening partnerships in T20Is. Their partnership reached new heights during the last Men’s T20I World Cup in 2022, where they notably shared a record-breaking 105-run stand. This was their third century partnership in the tournament, highlighting their exceptional chemistry and batting prowess.Heading into the upcoming tournament, Pakistan finds itself placed in Group A, alongside notable competitors like arch-rival India, as well as Canada, USA, and Ireland. Their journey kicks off with a match against co-hosts USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Texas, scheduled for Thursday.(With ANI inputs)

Babar Azam: ‘Babar Azam should bat at…’: Shoaib Malik wants change in Pakistan skipper’s batting order | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: After Pakistan’s seven-wicket loss to England in the fourth T20I at Kennington Oval, former cricketer Shoaib Malik suggested that skipper Babar Azam should bat at number three. Babar scored 36 runs off 22 balls with a strike rate of 163.64, hitting 5 fours and 1 six. Malik, on his official X account, acknowledged the tough series and emphasized the need for a batsman who can rotate the strike in the middle overs, suggesting Babar as the best option.He also encouraged Azam Khan and Shadab Khan to maintain their confidence as vital players for the team.Malik wrote: “Tough series! Remember: we’ve been in tough spots before & came out stronger! IMO Babar should bat at no 03! We need someone in the middle overs to rotate strike, you are our best option. Azam & Shadab, you two are vital for our team, don’t lose confidence, play with heart, you are match winners. Going into the World Cup, keep your morale high, we’ve got this.” In the match, England chose to field first. Babar Azam (36 off 22) and Mohammed Rizwan (23 off 16) started strong, but Adil Rashid (2/27) and Moeen Ali (1/23) applied pressure, reducing Pakistan to 86/5. Contributions from Usman Khan (38 off 21) and Iftikhar Ahmed (21 off 18) helped Pakistan reach 157/10 in 19.5 overs. England’s bowlers Mark Wood (2/35) and Liam Livingstone (2/17) also performed well.In the chase, England’s openers Phil Salt (45 off 24) and Jos Buttler (39 off 24) dominated, making 78 runs in the powerplay. Despite a brief fightback by Haris Rauf (3/38), Jonny Bairstow (28* off 16) and Harry Brook (17* off 14) finished the match in 15.3 overs, securing a seven-wicket win for England.(Inputs from ANI)

Pakistan targets right T20 combination against understrength New Zealand | Cricket

Babar Azam should bat at number 3: Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik

Danijones5 months ago04 mins

London [UK], : After Pakistan’s disappointing seven-wicket loss against England in the fourth T20I match at the Kennington Oval, former cricketer Shoaib Malik said the ‘Men in Green’ skipper Babar Azam should bat at number three. Babar Azam should bat at number 3: Former Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik Babar scored 36 runs from 22 balls at a strike rate of 163.64 in the fourth T20I match. He slammed 5 fours and 1 six during his time on the crease. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Malik took to his official X account and said that it was a tough series. He added Pakistan need someone in the batting order who can rotate the strike in the middle overs of a game. He also asked Azam Khan and Shadab Khan not to lose confidence since they play a vital role in the ‘Men in Green’ squad. “Tough series! Remember: we’ve been in tough spots before & came out stronger! IMO Babar should bat at no 03! We need someone in the middle overs to rotate strike, you are our best option, with your guidance our middle order will do alot better. Azam & Shadab, you two are vital for our team, don’t lose confidence, play with heart, you are match winners. Going into the World Cup, keep you morale high, We’ve got this,” Malik wrote on X. Recapping the match, the hosts won the toss and decided to field first. The England bowlers were subjected to some fine hitting by the opening pair of skipper Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan , but the spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali turned the pressure back on Pakistan batters, sinking them to 86/5. It was only a brief fightback by Usman Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed , that took Pakistan to 157/10 in 19.5 overs. Besides Rashid and Moeen, Mark Wood and Liam Livingstone also did fine with the ball. In the run-chase of 158 runs, England blew the visitors away with a powerplay assault by Phil Salt and skipper Jos Buttler , who made 78 runs in the powerplay. A brief comeback spell from pacer Haris Rauf delayed the victory for England. But Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook , finished off the proceedings in 15.3 overs, with seven wickets left. Rashid got the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his spell. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Azam Khan shown no mercy after flop show vs England as PCB, Babar Azam accused of ‘nepotism’

Danijones5 months ago03 mins

Azam Khan’s selection for Pakistan’s T20 World Cup team created plenty of controversy, due to his position as son of former national team skipper Moin Khan. Now his form has also not helped his cause, and has given more impetus to fans to criticise his selection. Pakistan’s Azam Khan walks back to the changing rooms after losing his wicket.(AP) The wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed for a five-ball duck in Pakistan’s fourth T20I against England. Receiving a short delivery by Mark Wood, Aam could only loop it into the air, for a simple catch behind the stumps. Pakistan could only post 157 in 19.5 overs. Meanwhile, England reached 158/3 in 15.3 overs, winning by seven wickets. Unlock exclusive access to the latest news on India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! Download Now! Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, one fan said, “Azam Khan is an embarrassment to international cricket.” Meanwhile, another fan wrote, “PCB ko chahiye keh ICC se baat kar ke Azam Khan ki jagah 60, 60 kg walay 2 players khila le.” Another fan wrote, “No sane team will play Azam Khan again until he sorts out his fitness!” One fan wrote, “Azam Khan is the best example of nepotism in our country. Mediocrity rules here in every department. Shameless people who persisted with him must be charged and sentenced. This is a criminal act not a simple mistake.” Here are the other reactions- For the T20 World Cup, Pakistan are placed in Group A, alongside Canada, India, Ireland and the USA. Babar Azam and Co. will open their campaign on June 6, taking on the USA in Texas. Speaking after Pakistan’s defeat in the series vs England, Babar said, “First six overs, we played very well. After that, the momentum shifted as wickets fell. Our middle-order needs to step up. You need 2-3 good overs in the middle and in the death as well. England’s bowling was very good. Hopefully we don’t do this in the World Cup. We made a couple of changes due to the injuries. Our powerplay was good. We have played good cricket in patches.”

Brutal! Mark Wood’s mean, unplayable bouncer to Azam Khan leaves interet wowed. Watch | Cricket News

Danijones5 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: England speedster Mark Wood produced an absolute snorter to leave clueless Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan taking evasive action during the fourth T20I at the Oval on Thursday.Wood’s 88.4mph rocket stunned Azam along with the commentators and the fans as the dream ball from the paceman left the batter ducking for cover.The jaffa from Wood came in the 11th over of the Pakistan innings as it caught Azam totally by surprise. As Wood dug in a quick, mean bouncer, angled in from back of length, it rose sharply and hurried onto the batter. Azam, who was on zero, could do nothing and tried to get out of the way of the ball coming straight at his face. In doing so, Azam found himself all over the place as the ball kissed his glove and then looped off the shoulder straight to England ‘keeper Jos Buttler. The unplayable delivery from Wood sent Azam packing for a five-ball duck. In the match, after restricting Pakistan to 157 all out, England powered to the target with 27 balls remaining as Buttler & Co head into the defense of its T20 World Cup title on the back of a 2-0 series victory over Pakistan.