PAK vs NZ: Babar Azam UNHAPPY with Shahid Afridi after ODI squad probables picked by selection committee

Babar Azam has been at the top of the men`s ODI player rankings since July 2021, scored 679 runs at a stunning average of 84.87 in the nine matches he played this year, registered eight scores of more than fifty, three of which he converted into hundreds

Source: Twitter

Pakistan captain Babar Azam was left disappointed after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Selection Committee headed by interim chief Shahid Afridi picked the ODI squad probables for the upcoming series against New Zealand. As per report, Babar even made his disappointment clear to head coach Saqlain Mushtaq.

What happened? Pakistan named 22 probables for the upcoming ODI series New Zealand. Reports from cricketpakistan.com suggests that Babar who had a big say in selection during the Ramiz Raza-era has now very less say in picking the squads. Pakistan are in red-hot form if we talk about ODI cricket. They have only lost one series of the six played since October 2020. However, Shahid Afridi and co look uninterested to do things like the previous committee.

Talking on the individual front, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday named Pakistan captain Babar Azam in the shortlist for the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year award in 2022. Azam, who had won the award in 2021, is nominated for the same honour in 2022 alongside Australia`s leg-spinner Adam Zampa, West Indies' opener Shai Hope and Zimbabwe`s off-spin all-rounder Sikandar Raza. (Virat Kohli vs Babar Azam: Pakistan captain hits yet another century, cricket fans call him 'King of Test' - Check Reaction)

Azam has been at the top of the men`s ODI player rankings since July 2021, scored 679 runs at a stunning average of 84.87 in the nine matches he played this year, registered eight scores of more than fifty, three of which he converted into hundreds. As a captain, Azam had a memorable year as captain of the Pakistan ODI team, winning three out of three series. Pakistan were unstoppable in the ODI format, losing just one match (against Australia) out of nine.

Azam's best effort in ODIs this year was 114 against Australia in Lahore. Set a daunting target of 349 by Australia, Azam put on a masterclass in chasing a total. Walking out to bat when his team needed 231 from 187 balls, Babar almost took his side home with an exceptional display of shot-making.

He brought up his hundred off just 73 balls, his fastest ever in ODI cricket and stuck around till the 44th over. The rest of the batters finished the job as they recorded their highest-ever successful chase in ODIs. (With IANS inputs)