During a recent appearance on a local TV channel, former Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Akhtar commented on current captain Babar Azam’s communication skills, sparking controversy. Akhtar expressed his desire for Azam to become a major brand like Indian cricket star Virat Kohli, but criticized his ability to speak publicly.
Akhtar’s comments were met with criticism from some fellow players, including Kamran Akmal, who he previously played with on the national team. In response to Akhtar’s criticism of Azam, Akmal defended his former teammate, stating that Azam’s speaking and media handling skills have improved over time.
Akhtar had said,
“I want to openly say this that Babar Azam should be the biggest brand of Pakistan, but why he hasn’t become the biggest brand in Pakistan? Because he can’t speak,”
While Kamran responded,
“I think Shoaib was not getting enough time on screen, that’s why he has said such a thing to keep himself in the headlines,”
“He is improving day by day as far as his speaking and media handling is concerned. In fact, the number of ads he is doing right now is no match to what Shoaib Akhtar does,”
During the same TV appearance, Akhtar also made fun of Akmal’s pronunciation of the word “screen” by mimicking the way Akmal said “sakreen.” The incident has caused some to question Akhtar’s professionalism and respect for his former teammates.
“I was listening to Kamran Akmal yesterday. He was our match winner. He must be sitting with you. I was listening to him and he was pronouncing the word ‘screen’ as ‘sakreen. You are on media, so you need to note these things,”
Despite the controversy, Akhtar maintained that he did not intend to belittle Azam and that he wants him to succeed as a brand and a player. However, his comments have sparked a larger conversation about the importance of communication skills in sports and the role they play in building a player’s personal brand.
“I had no intention to belittle Babar Azam. I want Babar to be bigger as a brand. You compare him with Virat Kohli. Look at how Kohli speaks. I want Babar to be as good as Kohli,”
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