'There Are 14 Other Players, Leave Babar Azam Alone': Pakistan Captain Salman Ali Agha's Blunt Remark

Pakistan cricket team skipper Salman Ali Agha asked the media to leave star batter Babar Azam alone ahead of the first T20I encounter against Australia. Babar found himself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons following a disappointing show in the Big Bash League (BBL). Even his inclusion in the T20 World Cup squad was met with criticism from fans as well as experts. During the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. Agha said that he was frustrated with the questions regarding Babar and even said that there are 14 other people in the squad besides the batter.

"My only wish is that one day I come to a press conference and there are no questions about Babar. I mean, there are eleven, or rather fourteen, other people in the team, other batsmen; think about them too, talk about them too," Salman Ali Agha said.

"Leave him alone, let him bat. He was batting well. You can say that in the Big Bash, he couldn't perform the way his team expected him to. But for us, he's performing very well. I think he's fulfilling his role very well, and that's all that matters to me now. What happened in the Big Bash doesn't matter to me at all," he added.

Earlier, Australia squad led by Mitchell Marsh arrived in Lahore Wednesday to play in a three-match T20I series, even as confusion prevails over Pakistan's participation in next month's T20 World Cup.

The series has been seen as Pakistan's final preparatory step for the T20 World Cup but it remains to be seen if the national team would get the government's nod to take part in the tournament starting on February 7.

Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, after a meeting with Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, had conveyed that all options were on the table the decision will be taken by either Friday or next Monday.

Pakistan has been protesting ICC's decision to replace Bangladesh with Scotland after the Bangladesh Cricket Board and interim government insisted they will not play T20 World Cup matches in India over security concerns.

Pakistan, meanwhile, announced their squad for the 20-team tournament which is, with one exception, the same which will face off against Australia.

The selectors have dropped pacer Muhammad Wasim Jr from the squad for the World Cup but he will be available for series against Australia.

Australia have reached Lahore without some of their experienced players including Pat Cummins.

Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David and Nathan Ellis have all been rested for the Pakistan series to recover completely from injuries before the WC.

But the Australian squad, in Pakistan for the first time after mid 2022, is still strong with Travis Head, Cameron Green and Josh Inglis among those who featured in the Ashes.

(With PTI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Agha Salman Babar Azam Australia Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team Cricket