Babar Azam Comes Up With Heartwarming Gesture For Afghanistan After Embarrassing Defeat

Babar Azam-led Pakistan, on Monday (October 23), suffered an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023. The Men in Green, who had not lost a game against Afghanistan before, suffered a heavy 8-wicket defeat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Batting first, Pakistan posted a competitive total of 282 for 7 in the allotted 50 overs. Abdullah Shafique (58) and Imam-ul-Haq (17) gave their team a good start by adding 56 runs for the first wicket before the former and Babar Azam (74) shared a 54-run stand. And while Pakistan were looking set to post a very big total, Noor Ahmed halted their charge in the middle.

Playing only his fourth ODI and his first-ever World Cup game, the teenage spinner dismissed Shafique, Babar and the in-form Mohammad Rizwan to tie down Pakistan in the middle overs. Even the 250-run mark was looking unreachable at one stage before Iftikhar Ahmed’s 40-run knock off just 27 balls that included 4 sixes helped Pakistan post a competitive total.

Babar Azam’s heartwarming gesture after defeat:

On a pitch which was expected to deteriorate with the passage of the game, the 283-run target was a big one. Afghanistan, however, made light work of the chase. They remained in control throughout the innings and crossed the finishing line in 49 overs by losing just two wickets.

Their openers, Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87), set the foundation for the chase with a 130-run partnership for the first wicket. This was followed by a 60-run stand between Zadran and Rahmat Shah (77*) before the latter departed. Shah and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (48)* then forged an unbroken partnership of 96 runs to secure victory for their team.

The latest defeat will only pile up the pressure on Pakistan captain Babar Azam who has come under fire in recent times. It, however, did not stop him from coming up with a heartwarming gesture after the game. The Pakistan captain gifted a bat to Rahmanullah Gurbaz after the end of proceedings in Chennai. A photo of the brilliant moment was later posted on X by Afghanistan Cricket Board’s official handle.

Thank you @babarazam258 for your gift! ?#AfghanAtalan | #CWC23 | #AFGvPAK | #WarzaMaidanGata pic.twitter.com/lMb3KdIVfd

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 23, 2023