"The respect element shouldn't be missing" - Shoaib Malik on Babar Azam vs Mohammad Amir face-off
Many were keen to see the battle between Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir ahead of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) clash between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings. Both have been world-class players, but were also a part of the Karachi franchise until this season when Babar moved on to Peshawar.
Reports of possible friction between Amir, Azam and Karachi Kings skipper Imad Wasim made the rounds earlier this year. Apart from the Pakistan skipper, the other two haven't been a part of the national team for a while.
Veteran Karachi Kings batter Shoaib Malik was asked in a press conference after the aforementioned match about an incident that took place during the game. Mohammad Amir threw the ball to the wicketkeeper in anger in the over in which Babar Azam smashed him for a boundary.
On this, Malik said:
"(I believe) the respect element shouldn't be missing. I've seen Babar, Amir, Imad... whenever they meet, they greet each other with respect.
"In this room, you won't be compatible in the same way with everyone. Some would gel up well, you'd like some and you might not like some others. But that would only be on a professional basis."
He added:
"I'm sure you all respect each other too. It's good for the league. Once you enter the league, you need to focus on what encourages you to deliver your best. But we know no one crosses the line."
"Babar Azam, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir all respect each other" – Shoaib Malik
#HBLPSL8 | #KKvPZ https://t.co/rBpDhYBgex
Facing Babar Azam or a tailender will be same for me: Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Amir also downplayed his highly-anticipated clash with Babar Azam when he was asked about it on a show on ARY News. He claimed that he thought of Babar just like any other batter and stated:
"These kinds of matchups and player rivalries keep players on their toes. I personally like these sort of challenges because it keeps me focused. My job is to take wickets and win matches for my team, so for me, facing Babar or a tailender batting at number 10 will be the same."
Despite a valiant effort from Malik (52 off 34) and Wasim (80 not out off 37), the Karachi Kings lost their opening PSL 2023 fixture against Peshawar Zalmi by two runs. Azam notably delivered for the Zalmi, scoring 68 off 46 balls, while Amir went for 42 runs from his four overs for the Kings.