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'Babar Azam Finish Nahi Kar Paaya...': Shaheen Afridi After Loss In 3rd T20I Vs New Zealand

image-lrhkk42qShaheen Afridi during a press conference (Twitter)

In the aftermath of Pakistan's loss in the third T20I against New Zealand, Babar Azam's consistent form with the bat earned a sweet and salty praise from captain Shaheen Afridi. Despite Babar's impressive third consecutive fifty in the series, Pakistan fell short by 45 runs, leading Afridi to express his sentiments on his performance.

Here's what he said:

"I had said it earlier as well that Babar was not out of form. We cannot judge him on the basis of a few innings. He has played three fine innings in three matches in the series. He could not finish the matches in our favor. He needed someone at the other end to take the innings deeper. If there was another batter at the other end with Babar, we could have finished the game in our favor." 

Afridi acknowledged Babar's need for support in finishing games and lamented the absence of a consistent partner at the crease. Despite Babar's impressive individual performance, the team faced challenges in closing out matches successfully.

Shaheen Afridi also addressed concerns about the bowling department, stating that the team requires time to find its rhythm. He defended Haris Rauf's performance, emphasizing that bowlers, both from Pakistan and New Zealand, were mentally prepared for challenging days on smaller grounds.

Looking forward, Afridi hinted at giving opportunities to benchwarmers in the upcoming 4th T20I, emphasizing the team's experimentation ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024. Despite the challenges, Afridi, now the captain of the Pakistan team, expressed confidence in the young players, highlighting Saim Ayub as a potential future star and defending Azam Khan's selection based on his domestic cricket performances.