Iftikhar Ahmed, a powerful batsman from Pakistan, has defended his captain Babar Azam from criticism regarding his leadership skills. The team under Babar’s captaincy failed to win a single test at home in 2022 and recently lost an ODI series to New Zealand at home as well.
Speaking on a local media channel, the 32-year-old cricketer expressed that criticising Babar is akin to committing a sin. He added that there is no other player like Babar in the world, and people should consider their level before commenting on him. Iftikhar emphasized that they should first become a cricketer like Babar and then criticise him.
“Everyone knows that there is no other player like Babar in the world,” Iftikhar said.
“People criticising Babar should first see whether they are at a level, where they can comment on him. First, reach his level and become a cricketer like him, and then criticise Babar,”
Shadab Khan, another Pakistani cricketer, echoed similar thoughts about Babar earlier this week, urging fans to value the Pakistan captain and not unnecessarily criticise him. He expressed that Pakistan is blessed with a big diamond in Babar Azam, and the nation should respect him for what he is worth.
“I think we are doing injustice with such a diamond. Pakistan has been blessed with such a big diamond. He [Babar] is even a bigger diamond than Kohinoor,” Shadab said.
“As a nation, we are not valuing Babar for what he is worth and are pressurising him. At the end of the day, he is also human. We should respect him the way the world respects him,”
Despite the criticism, both Iftikhar Ahmed and Shadab Khan have shown their support for Babar Azam and urged fans to value the captain and respect him like the world does.
