Shadab Khan corrects journalist during PSL 2023 press conference (AFP Photo)
Shadab Khan corrected a journalist for calling Babar Azam ‘former Pakistan skipper’ after he was rested for Aghanistan T20Is
Pakistan’s all-format skipper Babar Azam will not be taking part in the T20I series against Afghanistan. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to rest Babar and in his absence, Shadab Khan will lead the side in the competition.
The decision to not include Babar, invariably, triggered a massive row and now it seems some people are finding it quite difficult to fathom the sensational development. In a curious case, a certain journalist branded Babar as the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team.
The incident took place during a press conference following the Pakistan Super League (PSL) Eliminator between Peshawar Zalmi and Islamabad United on Thursday, March 16. Islamabad United skipper Shadab Khan, who will lead Pakistan in the T20Is against Afghanistan, did not waste any time in correcting the journalist.
“Voh kaptan tha, vahi kaptan jeet gaya. Where is our current captain? Jis tarah, aapko humare chairman sahib ne bataya, wahi current captain hain. Abhi woh rest kar rahe hain, aap logon ko pata bhi chala hoga. Because main uska wazir hun, badshah humara hai nahi toh wazir jaa raha hai, uske piche, [He was the captain and he won [PSL 8 eliminator]. Babar is still our captain and our chairman also told you guys that he is the captain of the team. Right now he is resting, so I have stepped in. When the King is not there, the minister has to step in, just like that],” Shadab Khan said last night at the post-match press conference.
Pakistan cricket team, under the leadership of Shadab Khan, are slated to take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series scheduled to start from March 24.
Apart from Babar Azam, other big names like- Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Rizwan, Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi- will also not be featuring in the T20Is against the Afghan opponents.
Ahead of the T20I series, Shadab Khan’s leadership acumen came under the scanner after his side Islamabad United crashed out of the PSL on Thursday. Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi got the better of Islamabad United by 12 runs last night to reach the second Eliminator.
In their next match, the Peshawar-based franchise will be up against Lahore Qalandars on Friday, March 17.
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