Sarfaraz Ahmed Breaks Silence On Camaraderie Between Babar Azam, Shan Masood

Former Pakistan National Cricket Team captain Sarfaraz Ahmed recently opened up on the camaraderie between Babar Azam and the newly-appointed Test skipper Shan Masood.

Babar Azam was sacked as the white-ball captain after a failed campaign in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He was asked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to continue as the leader in the red-ball format but he decided the relinquish the captaincy altogether.

PCB appointed Shaheen Afridi as the new T20I captain and Shan Masood as the new Test skipper, with the ODI captain yet to be named. Masood’s first assignment is a tough one – the upcoming Australia tour starting on December 14 in Perth.

Shan Masood being handed captaincy raised quite a few eyebrows as he returned to the Test side last season after a gap of nearly two years and hasn’t been highly impressive with the bat.

He also made a comeback to the ODI setup after nearly four years and was named vice-captain. However, despite the leadership role, he was left out of the playing XI for a few matches, which led to speculations about his uneasy relationship with then-captain Babar.

The camaraderie between Babar Azam, Muhammad Hafeez, and Shan Masood is… – Sarfaraz Ahmed

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Australia Test series, Sarfaraz Ahmed said that the camaraderie between Babar, Masood, and director of cricket Mohammad Hafeez is a testament to the strong bond within their camp. He said:

“It’s always an honor to lead your country, and I want to congratulate Shan Masood for his role. The camaraderie between Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, and Shan Masood is a testament to the strong bond within our camp.”

Sarfaraz Ahmed also spoke about the inspiring innings of Chris Gayle at Manuka Oval. He elaborated:

“I remember watching Chris Gayle’s incredible innings of 200 runs against Zimbabwe at Manuka Oval. Now, as we brace ourselves for a four-day clash in Canberra against Australia, the weather seems to be good. This match holds an immense significance as it kickstarts the three-match test series against the formidable Australian team.”