Pakistan are set to start their tour of England with the first Test match on Wednesday at Headingley in Leeds. Ahead of the game, there are concerns that Test skipper Babar Azam could miss the series opener. The 31-year-old injured his hand while batting in the three-day practice match, which the visitors went on to win by 7 wickets.
Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood slammed Babar’s critics. The 51-year-old stated that the constant criticism and name-calling in mainstream and social media circles affected the batter. Mahmood also called the current Test captain a superstar player.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Azhar said, “Babar is very shy and has been through a lot. I spent close to five months with him when he was dropped from the Test team after the England series. The player was really down after the way he was treated in his own country by some former cricketers and fans. We have one superstar in Pakistan, and he gets pulled down.”
Azhar Mahmood says Babar has matured
Azhar Mahmood opened up on Babar’s maturity. “Babar does have certain areas where he can improve, but so does everyone else. He has matured now. When a player of his calibre is made the captain, that gives them confidence and power to lead from the front, and we can see those qualities being displayed now. But when he is not the captain, people don’t respect him much, and he goes into a shell.”
Meanwhile, Salman Agha or Shan Masood are likely to take over the captaincy duties of the side if the star batter is ruled out. Masood was recently sacked as the Test skipper after a woeful record which saw him win just four games.
Salman, on the other hand, has led the side in T20I matches and is a key member of the red-ball team as well. A report carried by Telecom Asia revealed that since Agha doesn’t have the experience to lead in Test cricket, it is Shan who could lead Pakistan on Wednesday.
Telecom Asia quoted a source as saying, “Babar has only batted remotely with throwdowns and has not faced bowlers in the nets. He has complained of pain in the hand, so it is highly unlikely that he will take the field on Wednesday.” The source also said that the final decision on the captaincy will be taken by Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chief.