"He can't survive in T20Is"; it was Afridi's initial thoughts about Babar.
Legendary all-rounder Shahid Afridi has recently revealed that he had doubts in the capability of Babar Azam in the T20 International cricket and even didn’t think he would survive in the shorter format.
In a conversation with TV presenter Zainab Abbas, Afridi revealed he did not think that Azam, at first look, had the makings of a T20 batsman, but now he has established himself as one of the best in the T20I format as well as emerged as world’s number one batsman in the format.
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Former Pakistan captain further added that he thought Babar would only survive in Test and ODI cricket but with his sheer hard work the 25-year-old has proven him wrong.
Pakistan’s current white-ball captain Azam has improved a lot since Azam has improved since making an international debut in 2015 and now he became a household name among the cricket fraternity across the world apart from being a brand in Pakistan cricket with his consistent show across the formats.
The star right-hander averages over 50 in ODI and T20I cricket, while has an impressive average of 45.12 in Test cricket.
Afridi told Abbas of Azam: “I thought Babar Azam would survive in Tests and ODIs but not in T20Is. This was my opinion. But the way that guy has polished and groomed himself. The shots he plays. It depends on the goals you set yourself. It is always hard work.”
He added, “I can’t just keep thinking that I want to be like AB de Villiers or Virat Kohli. If you don’t work hard enough it can never be possible. In order to achieve any goal, you always have to work hard.”
On being asked about his favorite Pakistan players in the current generation, Afridi has named Shadab Khan and Imad Wasim while backing the duo to become gutsy all-rounders for the team. The legendary cricketer also revealed he likes pacer Hasan Ali a lot and wished for his speedy recovery from an injury.
Afridi signed off by saying, “Some players in the team right now, like Shadab, I really like. He has the ability to be a good all-rounder for the team. I like Hasan Ali a lot. I hope he regains fitness soon. I think Imad Wasim can be a very good all-rounder as well. Being a good all-rounder means that these guys can win Pakistan many matches. An all-rounder has a lot of value in any side.”
(With India Today Inputs)