Pakistan’s T20I captain Babar Azam is gearing up for the team’s upcoming tours of Ireland and England, which will serve as preparation for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Pakistan has been placed in a group alongside India, USA, Ireland, and Canada for the marquee event.
Azam was reinstated as captain after Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the 2023 ODI World Cup. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has placed its faith in Azam to lead the team to glory at the T20 World Cup.
However, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has issued a peculiar challenge to Azam. Ali, likely referring to Azam’s low strike rate in T20Is (129.41), stated that if Azam hits three consecutive sixes against top teams (excluding USA and Thailand), he will shut down his YouTube channel. Ali also suggested that if Azam cannot accept this challenge, he should not open the batting at the T20 World Cup.
Azam has recently expressed that the team will be devising specific tactics to counter India’s star batter Virat Kohli in their high-profile clash at the T20 World Cup. During their previous T20 Cup encounter in 2022, Kohli played a pivotal role in India’s victory, scoring an iconic 82* off 53 balls.
Speaking at a media conference, Azam acknowledged that while the team does not plan specifically against individual players, they will be preparing for Kohli, whom he described as “one of the best players.”
“We do not plan anything against one player. We plan for all 11 players. We do not know much about the conditions in New York and we will plan accordingly. He [Virat Kohli] is one of the best players and we will plan against him as well,” Azam said.
