[Watch] Shaheen Afridi Embarrasses Babar Azam With A Killer Delivery In Practice Match
Shaheen dismisses Babar [Source: @abubakartarar_/X.com]
Pakistan will enter the Champions Trophy 2025 as the defending champions and will be one of the favourites to clinch the title once again. However, prior to the ICC event, Pakistan will play a tri-nation tournament alongside New Zealand and South Africa, and the mini competition will commence on February 8.
Prior to it, the Pakistan squad assembled in Lahore for a training camp and the entire squad played a practice game where two of their biggest stars, Babar Azam and Shaheen Afridi were pipped against one another. The battle between the two competitors have always been fun to watch and on this occasion, Shaheen got the better of Babar by dismissing him for a duck.
In a video which has gone viral, Shaheen Afridi bowled a typical left-armer's delivery as he bowled an in-swinger and trapped Babar in it. The batter missed his attempted flick and the ball copped a blow on his front leg as the umpire raised his finger.
Babar looked disappointed and rightly so as he had been out of form for a while and the former skipper wanted to get some runs on the board before the tri-series commenced.
Babar likely to open in tri series and Champions Trophy
As per the latest reports, Pakistan selectors have requested Babar Azam to open in the tri nation series and in the Champions Trophy. The selectors want Babar to emulate the same feat which Sachin Tendulkar achieved with India while opening the batting.
With no Saim Ayub in the squad, Pakistan only have Fakhar Zaman as the front-line opener, and hence, the team wants to promote Babar at the top of the order.