‘You can show aggression, mine comes through batting’ – Babar Azam’s no-nonsense response to Mohammad Amir in PSL 2023

Before the eighth season of the Pakistan Super League kicked off, veteran fast bowler Mohammad Amir made a statement about Pakistan captain Babar Azam that caused quite a bit of controversy. Amir had claimed that bowling to the Pakistani captain was the same as confronting a tailender before his team’s first game against the Babar-led Peshawar Zalmi.

“These kinds of matchups and player rivalries keep players on their toes. I personally like these sort of challenges because it keeps me focused. My job is to take wickets and win matches for my team, so for me, facing Babar or a tailender batting at number 10 will be the same,” Amir was quoted as saying to ARY News.

Amir bowled poorly in the game and ended up with figures of 0/42 in four overs. Angry at his performance, Amir aggressively threw the ball at Babar shortly after the right-handed batter flicked his delivery for a four. Babar Azam has now responded to the criticism that Amir’s statement and his aggressiveness on the field received from fans and previous cricket players.

I will continue to play the way I do: Babar Azam 

Babar was questioned by Cricket Pakistan over his argument with Amir during the PSL match. The Pakistan skipper, however, claimed that he focuses on his own batting rather than tussling with opponents.

“On the field it’s the game of bat and ball. And you always try to put your best foot forward. I try to only focus on my batting, not on other things that can divert my attention, because then, it affects me. The more I simple I keep it, the more it’s good for me. I don’t think I reacted in any way that time, I kept it quite simple. You can show aggression, mine comes through batting,” said Babar.

Babar Azam wants to upgrade his variety of shots in order to keep up with the rapidly evolving modern game of cricket. “You have to try something different in modern-day cricket. I am sticking to my game. I will continue to play the way I do. I have tried one or two new shots in practice. If I gain more confidence in playing them, then I will apply them in the match. Cricket is getting fast-paced, so you have to adapt to modern-day cricket,” he added.