Reports claiming a rift between Pakistan cricket captain Babar Azam and fast bowler Shaheen Afridi have been addressed Afridi himself, putting all rumors to rest. Following Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the 2023 Asia Cup, fans and veteran cricketers were concerned about alleged disagreements between the two players.
The reports emerged after Pakistan’s loss to Sri Lanka in a rain-affected match, where tensions allegedly rose in the dressing room. It was reported that Azam had expressed his disappointment with the team’s performance and urged the players not to consider themselves “superstars.” Afridi interrupted with a request, leading to a disagreement between the two players, which was later resolved with the intervention of Mohammad Rizwan.
Amidst concerns of a dressing room rift and the potential change of captaincy before the ICC ODI World Cup, Afridi put an end to the speculation with a one-word response on social media. He shared a picture of himself with Azam and captioned it “Family” with a heart emoticon, emphasizing the unity within the team.
Pakistan’s campaign in the Asia Cup had started impressively, with a record-breaking innings from Babar Azam, but they suffered significant setbacks with a crushing loss to India and Sri Lanka in the Super Four stage. Injuries to Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah further hampered their progress, with Shah set to miss the entire World Cup tournament.
The rumors of a dressing room rift had caused distress among fans, experts, and veterans, but Afridi’s social media post has put an end to the speculation. As the 1992 ODI champions build towards the World Cup in India, the team can now focus on regrouping and preparing for the tournament.
Definitions:
– ODI: One Day International, a form of limited-overs cricket.
– ICC: International Cricket Council, the global governing body for cricket.
Sources:
– Hindustan Times
