The leader of the Pakistan cricket team Babar Azam says he does not have any pressure of Captaincy.
Pakistan’s chances of reaching the Cricket World Cup semi-finals are hanging in the balance following their recent eight-wicket defeat to Afghanistan. This loss marked their third consecutive setback in the tournament, following two initial victories.
Before the Asia Cup, Pakistan’s bowling was highly praised, especially when they managed to limit a strong Indian team to 266 all-out in a match that was ultimately washed out at Pallekele. This performance was seen as a significant warning to their rivals in the World Cup.
However, just two weeks before the tournament, Pakistan suffered a setback when their key fast bowler, Naseem Shah, was ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Their spearhead bowler, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has taken 10 wickets in five games in India but struggled to make an early impact.
His best performances, like his 2-36 against India and 5-54 against Australia, came in losing efforts. In the team’s opening wins against Netherlands and Sri Lanka, he managed to take only two wickets at a high combined cost of 103 runs.
Haris Rauf also faced issues with conceding too many runs, giving away 286 runs in five games despite taking eight wickets. The spinners couldn’t provide the desired effectiveness on the slow and turning Indian pitches. Players like Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, and Iftikhar Ahmed managed to secure just six wickets in five matches while conceding 502 runs.
Babar Azam, who is considered one of the top batsmen in white-ball cricket, has shown his prowess with two fifties at the World Cup. There have been consistent accusations from the Pakistan media about his alleged favoritism in team selection.
Speaking about his role as captain, Babar mentioned that he doesn’t feel much pressure in terms of captaincy during his batting. He aims to give his best when he’s at the crease, reserving his focus on captaincy for fielding.
Babar has garnered some sympathy in India due to his team having to play in front of crowds where Pakistan fans have been effectively banned from attending.
