Babar Azam was recently re-appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball captain after stepping down from the role following a poor show in the recently concluded ODI World Cup 2023. The batter reflected on his first outing in India and appreciated the kind of support he received from the crowds which even took the skipper by surprise.
Speaking in the Zalmi TV podcast on YouTube, Babar looked back on his time in the rival nation and talked about the iconic India vs Pakistan match that took place at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
He said,” That was a different moment. Whenever we looked around the stadium, it was all blue. If you are playing in India then it makes sense that the crowds will be with the home team”.
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“But even we got good support in different places. We received a lot of love from the crowds and they appreciated us. India vs Pakistan games are highly rated and many people look forward to this. It was a different experience for us,” Babar added.
While the crowds were supporting the Indian team during the game against Pakistan, Babar also mentioned that the Pakistan team were not short of support in the other fixtures which even took him by surprise.
He revealed that it was his first time travelling to India and was unaware of the conditions and the kind of reception he would receive there. But he mentioned that he was pleasantly surprised by the love he got from the crowds and they even showed up for their practice games.
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“I was not expecting much support from India. It was my first time there and I did not know the place. I had talked about the conditions but the kind of welcome we got was outstanding when we reached there. The people showered us with a lot of love there. People even turned up to our practice matches”.
He further revealed that the stadiums were full during Pakistan’s games at Hyderabad and also in Sri Lanka. Babar was appreciative of the kind of support he received from the three neighbouring countries, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka which he credited to his parents’ blessings.
Babar also revealed what used to be the discussions with Virat Kohli following the India vs Pakistan games. He revealed,” After the match, it was just talking cricket. I do that whenever I meet him. I do that with different players like Kane Williamson or Steve Smith. I do that to increase my knowledge, they are also top players and it could be helpful for me”.
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The Pakistan skipper’s next white-ball assignment is the five-match T20I series against New Zealand which takes place in Pakistan and the side will look to get the best preparation possible ahead of the T20 World Cup coming up in June 2024.
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