Did Shaheen Afridi mock Babar Azam?
Following the Super 8 match between Pakistan and England in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the focus shifted to Babar Azam’s batting performance rather than the game itself.
Pakistan batted first, scoring 164/9, with Babar making 25 runs off 24 balls, yielding a strike rate of 104.17, which is low for T20. His innings did not help raise the team’s run rate during the crucial middle overs, allowing England’s spinners to take control.
After the match, Shaheen Afridi’s comments during the press conference gained attention. When asked about the partnership between Farhan and Babar, he noted that successful partnerships in T20 involve players who consistently rotate the strike with singles and doubles, aiming for 8-9 runs per over, without naming anyone directly.
This led many to speculate that Shaheen was indirectly criticizing Babar. Such interpretations seem to hold weight, as Babar’s middle-order performance in a major event like the T20 World Cup lacked the needed acceleration.
