Sarfaraz Ahmed took an open dig at Babar Azam as the two met during the Champions One-Day Cup domestic tournament in Faisalabad. (Image: Screengrab, AP)
Sarfaraz Ahmed minced no words as he openly took a dig at the current Pakistan white-ball captain who was at the non-strikers end.
Verbal exchanges were on display during Pakistan’s Champions One-Day Cup fixture between the Stallions and the Dolphins that took place in Faisalabad on Thursday.
The former Pakistan skipper and wicketkeeper for the Dolphins, Sarfaraz Ahmed was caught on the stump mic speaking his mind about his fellow international teammate, Babar Azam who was batting in the middle for the Stallions.
The 37-year-old from behind the stumps was seen not mincing his words about Babar. He said,” Jaldi nai hai jaldi nai hai. Bas inko bolo Babar Babar karte rahiye, Babar ko 40 over khila denge (No hurry, no hurry. Let them keep chanting Babar Babar. We can allow Babar to play the 40 overs)”.
Sarfaraz’s words come at a time when Babar’s form and captaincy have come under scrutiny, following his recent performances for the national side. Leading the national team in both ODI and T20 World Cups in 2023 and 2024 respectively, Pakistan have suffered shocking exits in the tournament.
During the recent two-match Test series against Bangladesh which took place in Rawalpindi, Babar the batter failed to step up as the side went on to suffer an 0-2 hammering at the hands of the visitors for the first time in history.
With rumours suggesting a possible rift within the squad, all eyes were on Babar to possibly showcase why he is Pakistan’s best batter during the domestic tournament. And the national team’s skipper stepped up to the plate as he delivered a century to help the Stallions set a target of 272.
Sarfaraz on the other hand had an uneventful result with the Dolphins who were bundled out for just 97 runs in 25 overs thanks to a combined performance from the bowling unit.
Babar on the other hand is second in the run-scoring charts with 225 runs in the three innings played at an average of 112.5. Many supporters of Pakistan cricket hope that this domestic tournament will prove to be the spark to see their main man get back to his best form as Pakistan cricket hopes to revive itself from its worst slump in years.
Pakistan will have their next assignment where they take on England at home for a 3-match Test series beginning in October 2024.
