Babar Azam Explains Why Pakistan Are The 'Greatest Cricket Playing Nation'

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Babar Azam has called his country “the greatest cricket playing nation”. The right-handed batsman made the comment while he was speaking about the chances of international cricket being played behind closed doors in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Players from across the globe might have to get accustomed to playing in empty stadia as the world fights against the pandemic. Cricket events across the world have come to a halt due to the pandemic. The ODI between Australia and New Zealand on March 13 was the last international game before every series and tournament was either called off or suspended indefinitely.

The prolonged shutdown threatens a huge financial toll, with uncertainty over the T20 World Cup adding to concern about a drop in ICC revenue. In such a scenario, the boards are trying desperately to restart the game in empty stadiums. And if that happens, it will be nothing new for most of the Pakistan players.

The Pakistan players know the experience of playing in nearly empty stadia. Until last year, Pakistan were forced to play home internationals overseas as a result of the 2009 terrorist attack. But despite playing their home games abroad, Pakistan managed to do well across formats and thus Babar Azam believes that his country is the greatest cricket playing nation.

“If the world will never be the same again, how can playing and watching be the same? Let’s all understand and quickly embrace this,” Babar Azam said via a video call. “It’s ironic that we played our home cricket in front of almost empty stadia from 2009-2019 and now the world is heading in that direction. While the players will need to get extra motivation to perform in front of empty stadia, I fear for the growth and development of cricket.

“No youngsters attending matches, watching their heroes live in action will be a serious issue for me. I was a ballboy and got the motivation and inspiration by watching the Pakistan and South Africa Test in Lahore from arm’s length. I don’t see that happening in the very near future.

“Pakistan, however, had experience and managed to top the ICC Test Rankings, won the T20 World Cup and the Champions Trophy despite not playing any cricket at home. This is what makes Pakistan probably the greatest cricket playing nation. I think this will be the challenge for the world to match Pakistan’s behind-closed-door achievement,” he added.

Also Read: Dale Steyn Credits Graeme Smith For His Success In Tests

Also Read: Mohammad Kaif Criticises Virat Kohli’s Captaincy, Explains What He Needs To Do To Become Most Successful Captain