• Imran Nazir hailed Babar Azam as “the world’s best.”
• He praised technique, skills, and personality.
• He urged critics to “understand cricket” before judging.

Ex-Pakistan cricketer Imran Nazir has recently voiced his support for ex-Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, dubbing him as the best player globally and advising critics to comprehend the nuances of cricket before making judgments.

In a recent conversation with a local news outlet, Nazir highlighted Babar’s exceptional blend of technical expertise, cricketing abilities, and personal traits, stating that Azam truly represents the quintessence of a cricketer.

“For those who criticize Babar Azam, I would say, at least understand cricket first. He is the world’s best player, and I believe that in Pakistan, Babar is the player who, in terms of technique, as a cricketer, and as a personality embodies what it means to be a cricketer. A team doesn’t rely solely on one player; there are 10 other players who also contribute. He is doing his part; what about the rest?” Imran Nazir expressed.

Emphasizing the significance of teamwork, the 42-year-old contended that it’s unfair to blame a single player for the team’s performance, particularly when the entire team isn’t living up to the mark.

“They say teamwork, how a team works together, and it’s not just one player’s teamwork. When the entire team is not doing anything, you can’t blame Babar as much as you want by lifting him, but now I also see that everyone is behind him, why don’t you say anything to the other players? He is making Pakistan proud, the rest of the world praises him, considers him a player, but here we sideline him and bring someone else in.” he articulated.

On November 15th, 2023, Babar Azam, who was then 29, relinquished his captaincy in all formats following a discussion with the then Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee, Zaka Ashraf.

Post Azam’s decision, the PCB named Shan Masood as the Test captain of the Pakistan Men’s Cricket Team, and Shaheen Shah Afridi was appointed as the T20I captain. The captain for the ODI format is still to be declared.

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