PAK vs NZ: Watch - Babar Azam's deliberate football kick brutally strikes Naseem Shah to leave pacer fuming

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam will be having yet another opportunity to lead the national cricket team after being sacked following the ouster in the ICC World Cup 2023. He will be captaining the team in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. 

Pakistan Cricket Team will be locking horns with New Zealand in the five-match T20I series. The games will be played in Pakistan from 18th April to 27th April. The series will also mark preparation for the Babar Azam-led side for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024, set to be played from June 1 in the Caribbean and USA. 

The Pakistan National Cricket Team are putting in the hard yards for the series and would be keen to begin their road to the World Cup on a high note. The focus would be on skipper Babar Azam as to how he will lead the team in his second stint as the captain of the team. 

Despite a lot of changes in the team, the atmosphere of the team looks great. The team trained together ahead of the first T20I against New Zealand. One of the things that caught the attention of many during the session was the way Babar Azam was having fun at the expense of Naseem Shah. 

Babar Azam was seen hitting Naseem Shah with the football on the back. The pacer was stationed near the nets with his back bent. The captain, however, took the free kick and hit him deliberately on the back. The entire Pakistan team burst into laughter with the way the pacer was hit. 

Here's the video: 

Babar did it deliberately, look at naseem's annoyed face, haha 😂 #BabarAzam #PAKvsNZ

pic.twitter.com/khYyov5M6n

— King Babar Azam Army (@kingbabararmy) April 18, 2024

Naseem Shah will be playing for the first time for Pakistan since facing an injury in the Asia Cup 2023. The fast bowler made a return in the Pakistan Super League and played well for his team. He would be a lethal weapon for his team going ahead into the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. 

On the other hand, Babar Azam has been playing his best cricket for the past few months. The batter was in tremendous touch in the Pakistan Super League and would be keen to make an impact in the first game as the skipper of Pakistan for the second time. 

We support each other in every situation - Babar Azam on playing with Shaheen Afridi 

Babar Azam took over the captaincy of the team from Shaheen Afridi. The fast bowler was appointed as the captain of the team after the World Cup but was given only one series to prove himself. However, after that, he was removed as the captain and Babar was given the role. 

Babar Azam talked about playing with Shaheen Afridi and stated that their first aim is to play for Pakistan and they support each other well. He stated that they don't think of individual glory. Talking about the same, he stated: 

"We support each other in every situation. We aim to put Pakistan first, and how to put Pakistan's name up in lights. We don't think of individual glory, and thankfully, those elements are not present in my team," he concluded.