Follow UsBabar Azam, the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team was visibly frustrated after journalists kept calling him by his nickname King. Responding to one of them after the end of their match against South Africa on February 12 (Wednesday), he said, “Ye King-Shing karna, bolna zara kam karein.” This would loosely translate to, “Please don’t call me King and all.”
“I’m not a king yet. Let’s see what people call me when I retire,” he added.
Babar opened in the ODIs after a long time during the tri-series involving New Zealand and South Africa. However, in the two matches, he hasn’t really been able to make a mark.
Talking about his new role, Babar said, “Opening is a new role for me, and I’ve taken on this responsibility as per the team’s needs.”
In the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, too, Babar will be opening the innings, and hence, his performance will be important in determining how far the hosts go in the tournament.
Agreeing that he has not been able to perform to his potential, Babar said, “What I’ve done before is in the past. If I keep dwelling on previous performances, I won’t perform in the future. Every day is a new challenge with a new plan. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to finish the innings.”
But the man with 5,967 runs at an average of 56 in ODIs, was all praise for skipper Mohammad Rizwan and vice-captain Salman Agha for their match-winning innings against South Africa.
“Rizwan and Salman played brilliantly today. Performances like these lift the team’s confidence. Successfully chasing big totals like today boosts our confidence,” he said.