[WATCH] Babar Azam glares at journalist while leaving press conference after choosing to ignore query
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam did not answer questions from a particular journalist following the side's draw against New Zealand on Friday, December 30. Both sides were forced to settle for a draw after bad light prompted an early stop to the proceedings on Day 5 at the National Stadium in Karachi.
Several questions ranging from Babar's bizarre declaration in the last hour of the day's play to selection calls were presented during the press conference after the contest ended. While the skipper answered the queries one by one, he did not entertain questions from one particular journalist.
As the skipper began to leave the room, the reporter, whose questions fell on deaf ears, cut an incensed figure. He shouted at Babar, accusing him of deliberately avoiding questions and criticizing his conduct as well. The reporter, apparently Shoaib Jutt, said:
"Ye koi tareeka nahi hain, yaha sawaal ke lie aapko ishaare kar rahe hain (This is not the way, I'm making repeated gestures to ask a question)
The skipper's response came in the form of a cold, glaring stare as the media manager proceeded to turn off the microphone. Watch the tense interaction right here:
babar made sure shoaib jutt realizes he's heard and ignored. https://t.co/uR9SU2M8Zh
Babar's treatment comes on the back of a rather harshly-worded question by the journalist to Nauman Ali after the end of Day 4. He had asked the senior spinner about his "centuries with the ball", after conceding 185 runs in the first innings.
While Nauman handled the question relatively well, the skipper was apparently not pleased with the manner in which the query was put forward.
Babar Azam fails to lead Pakistan to a Test win on home soil in 2022
2022 has been a forgettable year for Pakistan when it comes to red-ball cricket. The slump began with a 1-0 series loss to Australia.
They were also technically outplayed by the visiting England side, who exposed them with a brutal 3-0 whitewash before the first Test against New Zealand ended in a draw.
Pakistan found themselves largely on the backfoot during the clash against the Blackcaps as well. Despite scoring a relatively healthy first-innings total of 438, they conceded a 174-run lead.
The captains at the end of a thrilling contest in Karachi 🇵🇰🇳🇿
#PAKvNZ | #TayyariKiwiHai https://t.co/vwmEe5UaZK
Composure from Saud Shakeel and a valuable cameo from Mohammad Wasim Jnr helped Pakistan attain and build on a lead before Babar Azam stirred up the equation with an unforeseen declaration.
Explaining his decision to hand New Zealand a target of 138 runs in the last 15 overs, Babar said:
"We said we'd go after a result, We took a chance, you never know. It's cricket. Anything can happen."
The contest seemingly headed into an interesting phase after the visitors went for victory. Tom Latham and Devon Conway led the side to a bright start, scoring over a third of the required runs quickly before bad light played spoilsport.
Should the ace batter continue as Pakistan Test captain following a disappointing year? Let us know what you think.
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