Would’ve been a different game if Shaheen was there: Babar Azam about India clash

Shaheen Shah Afridi has been one of the best bowlers in recent times. He has troubled big names like Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli in the past. However, he wouldn’t feature in the upcoming Asia T20 Cup and it is certainly a big setback for Pakistan ahead of the India clash.

Talking to the media ahead of their campaign, Babar Azam said that it would’ve been a different game if Shaheen was fit and available.

Azam, who will lead the Pakistan team in the historic India-Pakistan clash on Sunday, said that the team will certainly miss Shaheen Shah.

“Shaheen is one of our best bowlers, he bowls with aggression and he leads the attack, so we will miss him. If Shaheen was there, it would have been a different game. But our other bowlers are also good, we have high confidence in the camp,” said Babar during a press conference.

When asked about the India challenge, Azam said that all the matches are important for him and it is his job to give 100 per cent.

“The heat is not there. It is not normal, as a professional you have to adjust to everything. For me, every match is important and as captain, it is my job to give 100 per cent and we just try to give our best”, he said.

“T20 World Cup match has passed, it would be a new day tomorrow”

India enjoys a good record against Pakistan in this format but Pakistan thrashed India in their last T20 meeting.

Pakistan and India met in the 1st match of the T20 World Cup last year. India couldn’t find their way, struggled throughout and ended up losing the match by ten wickets.

Talking about the victory, Azam said that the team has moved on and it is a new day now. The T20 World Cup match has passed, it would be a new day tomorrow. You have the confidence, but it all boils down to the game day.”

When asked about the friendship between the arch-rivals, he said that as sportspeople they get to meet different players and it is normal.

“As a sportsman, you try to meet different players. We have met everyone, it is normal. You try and talk to players about cricket and other things.”

“Everyone waits for the match between India and Pakistan. It is important to enjoy this game. Our bench strength is strong, injuries can happen, it is part and parcel. I have faith in every player,” Babar said about the upcoming match.

Talking about his rise in the game as one of the best batters going around, Babar said: “Nothing is easy, but achieving the targets is up to you. There are many great players in the world, so how you want to compete against them is up to you. There are ups and downs, how you handle them is up to you.”