In the world of cricket, Babar Azam has become a brilliant star. His story of skill and perseverance on his journey from the streets of Lahore to the international cricket platform is extraordinary. Babar’s dreams to play cricket were ignited by his early exposure to the sport thanks to his cricket-playing relatives, notably his famous cousins Kamran and Adnan Akmal. His consistent performances in domestic cricket earned him a spot in the Pakistan Under-19 team and eventually the national team.
Soon, Babar established himself as a regular Pakistani national squad member because of his graceful batting style and versatility across all formats. Because of his composed leadership, he soon got a promotion and took over as captain of the T20 and ODI teams. Not only this, he has a long list of milestones and accomplishments, including the No. 1 ODI ranking. Amazingly, Babar Azam has become a beacon of hope for Pakistani cricket.
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However, despite this, many people don’t like him. While he is many people’s idol, many factors, including unreasonably high expectations, discontent with performance, disputes with his captaincy choices, and media scrutiny, still portray him negatively. As a result, he frequently becomes a target of trolls, and even many of his cricket fraternities target him. Recently, he was targeted by cricketer Mohammad Asif.
Mohammad Asif criticized Babar Azam
Former Pakistani fast bowler Mohammad Asif recently sparked debate when he said that the promising Babar Azam might still receive a maiden over from him today. Asif backed up his assertion by saying that Babar Azam had trouble making an impression when faced with flawless deliveries.
Even more so, he recalled how he assisted in choosing Babar Azam during the trials. He emphasized his admiration for Babar’s batting prowess while also pointing out how he had a propensity to gather dot balls during the power play, which Asif felt placed pressure on Rizwan, Babar’s partner. Speaking about this in X space, he said,
I selected Babar Azam in the trials after he faced two balls only, you can ask his father that I picked Babar in ZTBL trials. I rate highly, he is one of the best batters in the country but he plays dots in the power-play and puts pressure on Rizwan. I can bowl a maiden over to Babar Azam in T20 cricket even today, he cannot hit the ball if you bowl good deliveries to him.
Babar Azam’s father hits back at Mohammad Asif
Asif’s audacious claim has sparked a lot of debate in the cricket community. It also attracted a reaction from Babar Azam’s father.
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Babar’s father responded to Mohammad Asif’s claims by revealing that during Babar’s U-16 years, Babar had played a maiden over as a respect gesture for Asif. This gesture was prompted by Asif’s recommendation to the management to select Babar during ZTBL trials after witnessing his talent. Furthermore, Azam Siddiqui urged cricket fans not to escalate the situation and refrain from verbally attacking Asif.
Have a look at Azam Siddiqui’s heartfelt response to Mohammad Asif
Babar Azam father Azam Siddiqui’s heartfelt note and response to Mohammad Asif’s statement ♥️♥️
– Babar Azam scored 84 runs and hit 11 fours against Mohammad Asif’s team when he was playing U16 cricket
– Babar was disappointed as Asif said something to him after getting him out… pic.twitter.com/QIEguaQju8— Farid Khan (@_FaridKhan) September 24, 2023
Former Pakistani cricketer Mohammad Asif left a lasting impression during his career. He played for Pakistan in 23 Tests, 38 ODIs, and 11 T20 Internationals, taking 165 wickets in all.
Although regarded as one of cricket’s most devastating bowlers, his career ended due to his participation in the spot-fixing controversy that occurred during Pakistan’s 2010 tour of England. Notwithstanding these failures, Asif continues to be a prominent figure in the world of cricket, and his opinions continue to stir up debate.
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