"World has made him the king, you haven't": Imam supports Pakistan skipper Babar Azam amid backlash
Jun 14, 2024
New Delhi [India], June 14 : Pakistan batter Imam-ul Haq came in support of Babar Azam after opening batter Ahmed Shehzad slammed the captain for his performance during the ongoing T20 World Cup.
After Pakistan suffered a six-run defeat against their arch-rival India, Shehzad lambasted Babar for his 13-run knock and his captaincy decisions during the 120-run chase.
Imam came out in support of Babar and stated that the element of respect should not be ignored while commenting on his performance.
"All of us have played for Pakistan, and all of us have the right to criticise. None of us are satisfied with the team's performance against India, but remember that the element of respect should not be ignored," Imam said as quoted from Geo News.
Babar is called "king" by the fans for the standout performances that he has pulled for Pakistan over the years.
At one point, he was at the top of the ODI and T20I rankings, which helped him establish himself as one of the best in the world.
"He's your captain, you don't want to consider him as a captain it's fine. The world has made him the king, you haven't," Imam stated.
"Is there anyone who have been the number one in Pakistan's ODI ranking as well as in the T20I," said the batter," he added.
The Babar-led side is currently on the verge of crashing out of the T20 World Cup. They lost their opening games against the co-hosts, the USAand arch-rival India.
Their fate will be decided in the USA's clash against Ireland in Florida. The toss was delayed due to a wet outfield.
If the co-hosts manage to walk away with a victory, then Pakistan will end their campaign on Sunday against Ireland.
If the USA go on to lose the game, then Pakistan will have a chance to proceed into the Super 8. They would need to beat Ireland by a margin, which makes their Net Run Rate better than that of the USA.
In case of a washout, Pakistan will be knocked out of the tournament as the USA will get a point. Their points tally will go to five, which Pakistan won't be able to match as they have only a game left in hand.
