It's Pointless to Talk About Him: Wahab Riaz on Babar Azam
Babar Azam with Pakistan teammates ahead of NZ T20Is (PCB)
Pakistan speedster Wahab Riaz has spoken out in favour of Babar Azam amidst the rising criticism around his captaincy.
Under Babar Azam’s leadership last year, the Pakistan team lost the home series to Australia, England and New Zealand. The ‘Men in Green’ were also humbled by Sri Lanka and England in the title clashes of the 2022 Asia Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup respectively.
Babar's PSL teammate comes to his rescue
Star Pakistan pacer has not featured in international cricket since December 2020. However, the senior fast bowler continues to turn up in Pakistan-based domestic tournaments, and he recently represented a Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi side in the PSL 2023 season.
The 37-year-old snared 10 wickets across 11 games, with his side’s campaign concluding in the second eliminator of the competition.
Riaz has taken note of rising criticism of Pakistan national skipper Babar Azam for his captaincy and expressed that the opening batter is often condemned within the Pakistani cricketing fraternity.
“Talking about Babar Azam right now is pointless. Whenever he's discussed, negative comments often prevail. But as a captain, his leadership skills showcase his calibre, hunger, and determination to perform for Pakistan and make a name for himself. He deserves appreciation for his efforts and determination to make his name big in the world of cricket.”
Amidst uncertainty over his leadership future, Babar Azam recently took Pakistan 2-0 up in their ongoing home series against New Zealand. The win in the second T20I took him past MS Dhoni, thus levelling up with former English skipper Eoin Morgan as T20Is most successful captain in terms of wins.
Moreover, the dynamic batter also slammed a match-winning ton in the same game to close in on Rohit Sharma’s tally of T20I centuries.
 "Aakash Saini")
