PAK vs NZ: "This Selection Committee Is Here To Support Babar Azam"- Shahid Afridi's Statement On Pakistan Skipper

After their humbling loss to England in a Test series, Pakistan cricket has undergone two significant transformations. It was the first time this had ever happened to Pakistan at home as the visitors humiliated Babar Azam‘s team 3-0 to win.

Ramiz Raja, the head of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was later fired, and the Muhammad Wasim-led selection panel was disbanded. Later, rumours about Babar’s potential dismissal from his position as captain surfaced.

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We Want To Help Babar Azam Become A Good Captain: Shahid Afridi

In his first news conference as a temporary head selector on Sunday, Shahid Afridi commented on Babar’s leadership on the eve of the commencement of the New Zealand Test series. Afridi has been named to the position. 

The Afridi-led committee arrived in Karachi on Sunday evening to speak with Babar about the potential starting XI for Pakistan in the first Test against New Zealand. This committee only assumed leadership responsibilities for the home series against New Zealand, which consists of two Tests and three ODIs. 

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Afridi spoke to the media prior to the meeting and was questioned about his opinion on Babar’s captaincy. He said, “This Selection Committee is here to support Babar Azam. He is a world-class batter and we want to help him become an equally good captain too.” 

Shahid Afridi : “We will try to make Babar Azam a good captain.” pic.twitter.com/O1gMHN0eXN

— Thakur (@hassam_sajjad) December 25, 2022

Our Aim Is To Try Our Bench Strength: Shahid Afridi

The former Pakistani captain then made a suggestion that Sarfaraz Ahmed and Mir Hamza will both be in the team’s starting lineup for the Test match. 

“Our aim is to try our bench strength. A lot of our senior players are out for a long time. We will try and manage workload as Babar highlighted this issue previously,” Afridi said. 

“Hamza has performed really well in past couple of years and he deserves to be in the team. In absence of Shaheen, we needed a left-arm pacer. His inclusion will be worthy for us,” he added. 

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