"Jaan dene ko taiyaar hai" - Shan Masood on Pakistan skipper Babar Azam
Pakistan batter Shan Masood recently affirmed that skipper Babar Azam has the backing of the team amid all the criticism that has come the captain's way.
He mentioned that the players were ready to sacrifice their lives for Sarfaraz Ahmed when he was at the helm of the side, and the same is the case with Babar. Masood made these remarks during an interview with Samaa TV.
"Hum sab Babar Azam ke behind hai, the left-handed batter said. "Jis tarike se koi bhi aapka captain hota hai, jab Saifi bhai thai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar thai, ab jab Babar Azam hai, tb bhi hum jaan dene ko taiyaar hai. (We are all behind Babar Azam. We were ready to sacrifice our lives for Sarfaraz Ahmed when he was the captain, and now we are ready to do the same for Babar Azam.)
"Leader first. Aur hum sabka common goal Pakistan hai. Bahut saari hum khabre padhte hai, cheeje dekhte hai jo team ko idhar se udhar karne ki koshish karti hai, lekin personally, kisi ko kisi k saath koi vo nahi hai. Hum Pakistan k liye khelne aaye hai, ye bahut badi privilige hai. Hum sab uske saath hai." (Our common goal is to play for the country. We watch a lot of news on the criticism of the team, but we don't get bothered by it.)
Notably, several former cricketers have expressed their displeasure over Babar's captaincy. The side enjoyed success in multi-nation tournaments like the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup last year, making it to the final of both competitions.
However, their dismal performances at home overshadowed their achievements. Pakistan failed to win a single Test match at home last year and suffered series defeats to Australia and England.
While Babar Azam and Co. were able to draw both Tests of their two-match series against New Zealand at home earlier this year, they lost the subsequent ODI series against the Kiwis.
"He is the number one bowler in the world right now" - Shah Masood heaps praise on Shaheen Afridi
Shan Masood further stated that he considers Pakistani left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi to be the best bowler in the world currently. He opined that the batter is doing a fine job if he is able to survive the speedster's first over and is also able to hit him for a six.
"If you are surviving Shaheen's first over and also hitting a six, it means that you are playing very well as he is the number one bowler in the world right now," Masood continued.
Masood is currently plying his trade for the Multan Sultans in the ongoing eighth season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL 2023). The southpaw has mustered 156 runs from seven matches at an average of 22.28.