Consistency holds key in knockout games: Babar Azam

By Ehsan Qureshi in Dubai 

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam has reckoned that consistency held the key in the knockout games of the ICC T20 World Cup as his side prepared to combat Australia on November 11.

"We have been consistent in the tournament so far and we will take the confidence and momentum in the semifinal and then into the final hopefully" he told reporters via virtual press conference on November 9. 

He got the players of his choice as he insisted on a few guys to be retained and his team has been producing results. "I am taking my decisions with freedom. I know that it will mean a lot to the fans and the country if we win the trophy. People of our country have always backed us,” he observed.

“As a captain I can't even imagine of dropping Hasan Ali. Yes, he is not doing very well but he is a match winner and has won us many matches. I know he is a big match player who could do well in the semis. Same is the case with Fakhar Zaman. You can’t have all eleven players performing in same match,” Babar asserted. 

“These are the kind of naturally gifted players who have the capacity to turn the match on their day. They deserve to given chances as they may also endured an off day or two,” he reasoned.

“Bubble life is tough but we are managing it somehow. If any player has any problem we ask a senior player to sit with him and get advice. Obviously we have to live with for the time being,” he stated. 

“As a captain I am learning. I take all my players with me and give them the confidence to bring the best out of them,” he said.

Babar has led the team by example in the tournament, having scored as many as four half centuries in five league matches. He is looking forward to extending the purple patch in the upcoming games to help his team clinch the trophy.