Babar Azam and Mohammad Amir. (Photo Source: Twitter/X)
Mohammad Amir came out to defend his former captain Babar Azam after the talismanic batter faced criticism following Pakistan’s morale-boosting win against England in the second Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Friday, October 18.
After the Shan Masood-led side registered a thumping 152-run victory to restore parity in the three-match Test series, some cricket enthusiasts targeted Babar Azam, who was dropped for this Test after going through a very long dry patch in the oldest format of the game. They started sharing the propaganda that Pakistan ended their 11-match winless streak at home because Babar was discarded from the side.
Amir rubbished this school of thought and pointed out that Pakistan won because they made better plans in the second Test and also used home advantage to a nicety. The left-arm seamer said that people should refrain from getting personal with the players.
“Yar pls yeah ghatia soch khatam karo k Babar team me ni tha ya woh player ni tha to team jeet gayi .hum better planning k sath while home advantage liya or jeet gaye. pls personal na hn apne player’s k sath yes performance base ap bat Karen but pls personal na hn (Friends, please stop this disgusting thinking that Pakistan won because Babar Azam wasn’t in the team. We won because we played with better plans and took home advantage. Please don’t get personal with our players. You can talk about their performances but please don’t get personal),” Amir wrote on his official ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) account.
Watch Amir’s post on X here:
Yar pls yeah ghatia soch khatam karo k babar team me ni tha ya woh player ni tha to team jeet gayi .hum better planning k sath khaile home advantage liya or jeet gaye. pls personal na hn apne player’s k sath yes performance base ap bat Karen but pls personal na hn.
— Mohammad Amir (@iamamirofficial) October 18, 2024
The second Test in Multan was played on the same surface which hosted the first encounter. Pakistan added two spinners Noman Ali and Sajid Khan to their playing XI, and it bore fruit. However, Masood winning the toss and opting to bat first set the tone and England had to bat last on a pitch that had deteriorated considerably.
Rawalpindi gears up for series decider
After the Multan Cricket Stadium produced two contrasting Test matches, the action shifts to the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi for the third and final encounter, which gets underway on Thursday, October 24.
Also Read: Pakistan need impactful performances not PR: Mohammad Hafeez
The home team would have gained a lot of confidence from their comprehensive performance in the second Test and fans can expect them to come out all guns blazing in Rawalpindi. However, Ben Stokes’ England know how to turn setbacks into comebacks, as they came back from 0-2 down to level the Ashes last year. Cricket aficionados will be waiting with bated breath for the start of the third Test, as it has all the ingredients of a humdinger.