PSL 2023: Shan Masood backs his captain Babar Azam as the latter faces criticism from former cricketers and fans. Currently captaining Peshawar Zalmi in PSL, Babar Azam has been facing a lot of criticism over his approach as a captain and batter.
Babar Azam is currently featuring for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL where he has had mixed results with three wins and three losses out of six games played so far. The team is currently placed in the fourth spot.
The Pakistani captain has been struggling with his own performance in PSL 8, having scored only 178 runs in six innings. Babar has been facing criticism for his own and his team’s performance in the ongoing T20 league.
Recently, Babar’s compatriot Iftikhar Ahmed came in support of his captain, he termed criticism of the national captain as a ‘sin’ and said that anyone who criticizes Babar should first become “a great player” like him.
Shan Masood backs Babar Azam
Former players have been critical of Pakistan captain Babar Azam’s leadership and performance, but his teammate Shan Masood has spoken out in support of him. Masood, who is playing for Multan Sultans in the eighth edition of the Pakistan Premier League, defended Azam and shared how the team had also supported former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed in the past.
“We were prepared to make any sacrifice for Sarfaraz Ahmed when he was our captain, and we are now equally prepared to do the same for Babar Azam. He is an exceptional leader who requires the team’s backing. Our primary objective is to represent our country and strive to perform to the best of our abilities to achieve this,” expressed Shan Masood while speaking with a local TV channel as reported by Cricket Pakistan.
“We watch a lot of news on criticism of the team but we don’t get bothered by them as our mutual goal is to play for our country,” said Shan Masood as he backs Babar Azam.
In response to the criticism aimed at his captaincy and batting approach, Babar Azam refuted it last week. He acknowledged that criticism is inevitable as not everyone will always support him. Despite this, he stated that he always tries to maintain a positive mindset as it helps to boost his confidence.
