LAHORE: Pakistan’s All-Forms Captain Babar Azam supported the team’s leading bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi during his recovery from a knee injury and wanted him to be fully fit before the 2022 Asian Cup.
Speaking at a press conference scheduled ahead of the national team’s ODI tour of the Netherlands, Babar stated that Shaheen would be traveling with the team so they could assess his fitness, as the pacemaker in his left arm is currently undergoing rehabilitation after of sustaining an injury during Sri Lanka Tour.
“To assess his fitness, we will take Shaheen with the team as we want him to be fully fit before the Asian Cup,” he said.
The captain weighed in on Hasan Ali’s exclusion from the national team and expressed confidence that a strong showing in the national season would boost his return to the national team.
“Hasan Ali is a team man. He is obviously out of shape but he has already shown the kind of sportsman he is.
I am confident that he will return after the next domestic season,” he added.
Responding to a question about including the multi-talented Imad Wasim in the squad, Babar stated that since Mohammad Nawaz had performed well in the limited overs format, he would continue with the squad, but the doors were not closed for Imad as well.
Furthermore, Babar extended his full confidence in mid-level batsmen, expecting good performances from Khushdil Shah, Iftikhar Ahmed and Asif Ali in the absence of the experienced Shoaib Malik and Mohamad Hafeez.
In addition, the captain of the national team praised Pakistani athletes Arshad Nadeem and Nooh Dastgir Butt for winning gold medals at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games and urged proper training facilities for national athletes.
It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan will play a three-match ODI series away against the Netherlands from August 16-21. The team will leave for Amsterdam in the early hours of Friday, August 12.
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