Shaheen Afridi backs Babar Azam despite concerns over poor form

Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi has backed Babar Azam amid concerns over the batter’s recent performances, saying that the star player is not under pressure ahead of the ODI tri-series featuring England and Sri Lanka.

“There is no pressure on Babar,"Shaheen said at a press conference in Rawalpindi on Saturday. "He is our main player, and he is the backbone of this team.” 

Babar’s recent numbers have raised questions about his form. He scored 97 runs in Pakistan’s Test series against England and managed 58 runs across four innings after returning to domestic cricket following a gap of nearly nine years.

His ODI performances, however, have been more encouraging. Babar finished as Pakistan’s leading run-scorer in their recent series against Australia, making 125 runs in three matches as the hosts won the series 2-1.

Shaheen said that Babar’s record for Pakistan deserved recognition, pointing to his contributions whenever he had represented the country.

“He has always scored runs for Pakistan," he insisted. "Whenever he has represented the country, he has delivered with the bat,” the captain added.