‘It was a confident round despite the brutal conditions and pouring rain over the final 10 holes,’ said 17-year-Rayan
sports3 days ago
After enduring a heartbreaking World Cup campaign in India, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam returned to Lahore on Monday. The cricketer was spotted at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, surrounded by security officials and fans. There have been clamours for Babar's resignation as captain after Pakistan's poor outings.
A report published by Indian news agency PTI, however, claims that Babar will not voluntarily relinquish his captaincy and will wait for the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to take a call on this matter. Babar will meet PCB chief Zaka Ashraf this week and will decide about his all-format captaincy after the meeting, the report added.
Following Pakistan’s disastrous World Cup outing, many have already called for Babar’s resignation. However, legendary India all-rounder Kapil Dev has a different opinion on this. While speaking on a YouTube podcast, Kapil Dev vociferously defended the under-fire Pakistan captain.
"If you say that Babar Azam is not the right choice [for captaincy] today, it is because you are looking at just his current performance. He was the same captain, who made Pakistan team No.1 [in ICC ODI rankings] six months ago,” the World Cup-winning ex-India captain said.
"When someone gets out for zero, 99 percent of the people would want him to be dropped. If an ordinary player comes and scores a brilliant hundred, then they call him a superstar. So don’t look at just current performance. Look at how he has approached the game, how much passion and talent he has," Kapil Dev added.
Former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja also recently came out in full support of Babar. Raja even went on to blast PCB for not being efficient enough in setting up a strong squad.
Babar was appointed Pakistan's white-ball skipper in 2019. Two years later, he also took over as the Test skipper. Overall, the 29-year-old has led his nation in two Asia Cups, two T20 World Cups and the ongoing ODI World Cup. But Babar has not been able to lead Pakistan to a piece of silverware in any of these events.
Pakistan suffered World Cup elimination this time having registered a fifth-place finish in the standings. Pakistan capped off their World Cup campaign with eight points from nine games. Overall, they won four out of their nine league-stage fixtures.
ALSO READ:
‘It was a confident round despite the brutal conditions and pouring rain over the final 10 holes,’ said 17-year-Rayan
sports3 days ago
Dubai Basketball will be looking to win their third straight game when they take on the Serbian team at Coca-Cola Arena on Saturday
sports3 days ago
APGC Chairman Amin highlights the UAE’s impressive growth in golf and anticipates the 2025 Championship will build on the nation's legacy of hosting prestigious tournaments
sports3 days ago
The teenage duo will join a field of 120 golfers from 43 APGC member nations in the tournament that concludes on Sunday
sports4 days ago
“It has been a privilege to witness and contribute to the growth of both Dubai and the golf industry here,” said McMurdo as he reflected on his time at Dubai's famous Resort Golf Course
sports4 days ago
The second season will see six teams vying for the honours in London after the inaugural season was won by Triveni Continental Kings in Dubai last year
sports4 days ago
The champion of this week's tournament will earn invites to both The Masters and The Open
sports4 days ago
His strategy involves investing in modern amenities, expanding instructional programs, and highlighting the course's unique features in Dubai's competitive golf landscape
sports5 days ago