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A video of Pakistan captain Babar Azam getting frustrated by former international pacer Wahab Riaz has gone viral on social media. The video was shared by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on April 25. The clip is from a six-hitting challenge between the country’s senior men’s cricket team and its support staff. As Wahab, who is the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s cricket team but not the part of the support staff, asked Babar to let him bat during the contest, the skipper visibly got frustrated. Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s head coach for the recently-concluded New Zealand T20I series, pushed Riaz away.
Watch the video here:
Check out the -hitting competition with Pakistan’s T20I squad and support staff #PAKvNZ | #AaTenuMatchDikhawan pic.twitter.com/PFxcMJPmMJ
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 25, 2024
Skipper Babar Azam hit a solid half century while spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed four wickets as Pakistan overcame New Zealand by nine runs in the fifth and final T20I in Lahore on Saturday.
Azam’s 44-ball 69 and Fakhar Zaman’s 33-ball 43 took Pakistan to 178-5 in their 20 overs before Shaheen claimed 4-30 to restrict New Zealand to 169 in 19.2 overs, squaring the series at 2-2.
But Pakistan’s win only came in the final over with 12 needed as Josh Clarkson 38 not out threatened to pull off a heist, but two run outs in Mohammad Amir’s over sealed the home win much to the delight of a full house at Gaddafi Stadium.
The first match of the series was abandoned while Pakistan clinched the second and New Zealand the third by identical seven-wicket margins — all in Rawalpindi.
New Zealand took the fourth match, also in Lahore, by four runs.
The series gave both the teams a kickstart to their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.
While Pakistan would be disappointed not to have won a series against a depleted New Zealand side missing a host of players due to Indian Premier League, unavailability and injuries, the visitors got a boost from their bench strength.
(With AFP Inputs)
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