On Sunday, PCB supports ‘depressed’ Babar Azam after Worldcup loss. Pakistan team director Mickey Arthur told “depressed” skipper Babar Azam that making mistakes is not a crime to boost his confidence following the Green Shirts’ dismal performance and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 loss.
PCB supports ‘depressed’ Babar Azam after Worldcup loss
According to speculations from this week, Azam may step down as white-ball cricket captain after returning from India due to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and previous cricketers’ behavior.
According to rumors, the captain was under pressure from fellow cricketers to resign owing to the team’s poor performance. The Green Shirts performed poorly in the major tournament, winning only four games. Net run rate (NRR) of 0.036 puts them fifth.
Former all-rounder Abdul Razzaq suggested on Geo News’ ‘Harna Mana Hai’ that Babar should resign and set an example.
I support Babar,” Arthur stated. Babar and I are quite close. He’s a young man who needs guidance and instruction.”
Azam captains the Test and ODI squads since 2020.
“He’s always learning. We know he’s great at batting. Captaincy teaches him daily “Arthur said.
We must give him time to grow. You make mistakes to do that. It’s okay to make errors if you learn from them.”
India sympathized with Azam and his team despite home fans’ despair. Only a few Pakistani fans, largely expats, attended the games due to visa issues that prevented their entry. Pakistan played in India for the first time in seven years and was confined to hotel rooms after playing and practicing. If players and squad members left their hotel, security would accompany them.
Former Pakistan captain and cricket board head Ramiz Raja said 29-year-old Azam was “depressed” by the domestic backlash. Archrivals India’s eight-win streak and first-ever semi-final appearance would have exacerbated fans’ wrath. Pakistan lost against Afghanistan for the first time.
Azam remains the world’s second-ranked batsman after scoring 320 runs at the World Cup with four fifties at 40. He has around 13,000 international runs. His captaincy in India was questioned when he was accused of lacking field assertiveness. Pakistani media repeatedly accused him of favoring cronies in selection. Raja thinks Azam may be the first to die in Pakistan cricket’s infighting.
“There’s so much pressure on him that he may leave the job,” Raja told BBC’s Test Match Special.
As anticipated, there has been a major backlash at home. Pakistan media have targeted Babar Azam and others. This is a World Cup, so you have to bear the heat. This side has the potential to play modern cricket, but they’re hesitant and frightened.”
