"We face criticism even if we play well" - Babar Azam after leading Pakistan to a commanding victory over England in second T20I
Pakistan captain Babar Azam claimed that critics find fault regardless of the national team performing well. Azam's comments came after a comprehensive victory over England in the second T20I on Thursday (September 22) in Karachi, headlined by his unbeaten 66-ball 110*.
England, who won the toss and elected to bat first, delivered a formidable performance as skipper Moeen Ali led the way. The all-rounder stayed unbeaten with 55 off 23 balls as the tourists piled on 199 in 20 overs. However, Azam and Mohammad Rizwan helped Pakistan overhaul the target with three balls to spare.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam interacts with the media after the 10-wicket triumph over England.
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When asked by a reporter about all the criticism before Pakistan's 10-wicket win, Azam said they don't attend to things that are out of their control. The right-handed batter claimed they played according to the situation, allowing them to execute their plans well.
The skipper, who registered his second T20I hundred, spoke in the post-match press conference:
"Who am I to say anything? We always try to play by the situation. We do what is on our hands and we don't pay attention to things that are out of our control. We face criticism even if we play well and they wait to do it anyway if we don't. The total we chased today, we have done that before.
"I and Rizwan played according to the conditions and assessed how to pace the run-chase. We talked about all this and executed our plans successfully."
Addressing his aggressive approach with the bat and whether he took all the criticism positively, he continued:
"Look, you plan as per the conditions and the target set by the opposition and change your gears accordingly. It depends how you take things as it can go negative or positive.
"Hence, we always take it positively and try to listen to every player's point of view in the dressing room without criticism. Our job is to deliver performances and we attempt to do in a manner that Pakistan wins."
The opening pair registered their sixth century partnership, with Babar Azam becoming the second-fastest to 8000 T20 runs, reaching the milestone in 218 innings. The duo's 203-run partnership is also the highest in the second innings in the format.
"We try to forget the past happenings as quickly as possible" - Babar Azam on returning to form
When asked how he reversed his form after a few modest scores, Azam said he looks to put his failures behind him quickly as there's less time to reflect on them and that remaining positive is key.
He said:
"Look, we try to forget the past happenings as quickly as possible, but we discuss our mistakes within the team, trying to dissect where we went wrong or where we could've done better."
He added:
"We talk about everything a day after the game and try to forget about it as soon as possible since games are back-to-back and there is less time to think. Hence, the more positive you keep it and the more belief you maintain because like I said, the upcoming event is huge and these games are crucial.
"If we take the momentum going into the World Cup, it'll help us."
Karachi has witnessed a Babar special 
🔊 Karachi has witnessed a Babar special 👑
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The 10-wicket victory allowed Pakistan to level the seven-match series after England won the first by six wickets. The third T20I is on Friday, September 23.