Pakistan’s opening batsman Abid Ali on Wednesday (July 1) said he feels proud to be able to play alongside the country’s batting superstar Babar Azam while hailing his white-ball captain’s calming persona that helped him during his initial days at the international cricket.
He also wished Babar all the luck to do a great job for Pakistan both as captain and batsman since the expectations were high from the latter considering he is now the skipper in two formats – ODI and T20I.
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Abid was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “I am proud to play alongside Babar. My best wishes are with him. People are expecting more from him now since he is the captain in two formats. I hope he continues to perform for Pakistan.”
He also recalled how Babar helped him during his Test debut where he smashed a magnificent century against Sri Lanka to become the first cricketer to score tons on his Test and ODI debuts.
The Lahore-born batsman added, “When I was batting with him on my debut, I was under pressure but he backed me and advised me not to worry and take my time at the crease. When I finally reached my hundred, he hugged me with all his heart. It is a pleasure to watch him bat from the other end.”
He is disappointed to miss out on the chance to represent Pakistan at the historic Lord’s ground, which is also known as the Home of Cricket, in the upcoming bilateral series against England.
The opener further stated, “It was my wish to play at the Lord’s cricket ground, as it is one of the best venues in the world. Every cricketer looks forward to playing there. I am disappointed that there won’t be any match at Lord’s on this tour, but we have to abide by the safety measures. I am prepared to play at any venue and will adjust accordingly,”
Pakistan could not do enough practice at their home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the right-hander is confident of a strong performance from his team against England.
Ali signed off by saying, “Preparations aren’t ideal for England tour but I am mentally prepared to give my 100 percent. I am training hard to improve my fitness level and working on eradicating my weaknesses.”
(With AAP/cricketpakistan.com.pk Inputs)
