Pakistan’s cricket team leader, Babar Azam, said that South Africa’s famous player, AB De Villiers, is the best batsman he has faced in his playing career. Babar talked about this in an interview on AB De Villiers’ own YouTube channel. When AB De Villiers asked Babar to name the best batsman, Babar quickly chose him over any other current player. AB De Villiers found this funny and asked Babar to pick someone else, but Babar insisted that he still thinks AB De Villiers is the best.
Babar talked about the hardest bowler he’s ever faced, naming Australian cricketer Pat Cummins. When asked about the most famous person in his contacts, De Villers teased that Babar couldn’t use his name again. Babar laughed at the joke and finally named famous Pakistani singer Atif Aslam.
Recently, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) did not allow Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan to play in the Global T20 tournament in Canada by not giving them the needed permission slips called NOCs.
This choice comes soon after they also said no to Naseem Shah playing in The Hundred, a competition where he was supposed to play for Birmingham Phoenix. The PCB explained in a message that they made this choice after talking to the players and the people who pick the teams, pointing out the busy schedule of international games coming up.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has received permission requests from cricketers Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, along with other players. Considering Pakistan’s full cricket schedule from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine important Test matches and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and after talking with the players and the national selection committee, it has been decided to not allow their requests, according to a statement released by the PCB on Friday night.
The three players are skilled in all types of cricket formats, and they are likely needed for the next eight months. During this time, Pakistan will play nine Test matches, 14 One Day Internationals, and nine Twenty20 Internationals. To follow the Pakistan Cricket Board’s policy on managing player workloads, it’s best for the players and Pakistan cricket that they don’t participate in the upcoming event in Canada. This way, they can be in top condition for the season, which starts with a two-Test series against Bangladesh.
