Babar Azam calls Pakistan players to play fearless cricket in white-ball format
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has stated that playing with inhibition doesn’t help the cause for the Pakistan team and added that he wants the players to play fearless cricket. He has also added that Pakistan need to win against top teams to call themselves a top side in international cricket.
Pakistan are all set to host South Africa after a gap of 14 years, with the side slated to play two Tests and three T20Is in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore from January 26 to February 14. There is a lot riding on it and especially for Pakistan, to salvage their reputation as a competent unit in international cricket. Babar Azam thus called his players to play fearless cricket to become a unit they aspire to become.
“I want the team to play positive but aggressive and fearless cricket, especially in white-ball cricket if we want to challenge top teams. Usually we stop scoring runs if we lose one or two quick wickets and this is where I want the team's mindset to change — even if you’ve lost two quick wickets, you must continue to add numbers to the scoreboard,” Azam told former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raza via the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) digital platform, reported India Today.
“We need to be good enough against top-quality sides if we want ourselves to be considered as a topside and for that, we need to win series against top teams," the skipper added.
This series will also mark the return of Babar Azam to international cricket after the talismanic Pakistan skipper missed the New Zealand tour due to injury.