Afghanistan wicketkeeper-batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz recalled the memories of meeting the star Pakistan batter Babar Azam in near tears after their historic victory over Pakistan in the ODI World Cup 2023 in Chennai. Afghanistan defeated the Men in Green by eight wickets in the showpiece event’s league stage.
Following Afghanistan’s eight-wicket victory against Pakistan in Chennai, Babar Azam presented Rahmanullah Gurbaz with a bat. Despite posting a total of 282 runs, the Men in Green were unable to stop the Afghans from chasing down the total.
Speaking to Pakistan influencer Momin Saqib, Rahmanullah Gurbaz revealed that then-Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was very emotional and dejected after the loss against Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023. He praised Babar for his “never give up” attitude despite heavy criticism and said that he could embrace the feeling of a player after such a devastating loss.
“Trust me, I was trying not to say this in front of the camera, but I want to say that he was about to cry. He was so dejected, and I have never seen any player like that. Everyone was against him. But I salute Babar bhai, he was so strong and he kept going. He never gave up.
“That moment I will never forget about Babar, beating Pakistan, and then I asked for his bat. Once he brought the bat, he was so disappointed and I can feel as a player,” Rahmanullah Gurbaz said.
“I can feel that you know, when you lost the game and then this, especially in this kind of situation. He was under so much pressure. I remember that I also felt emotional, he is one of the best players, one of the best captains,” Rahmanullah Gurbaz added.
Pakistan suffered their third consecutive defeat after a 2-0 start to their 2023 World Cup campaign. After finishing sixth on the points table and missing out on a semi-final ticket, Babar Azam resigned from captaincy duties in all formats.
Since Pakistan’s exit from the ODI World Cup, a lot has changed. After the team’s terrible performance in the premier tournament, Babar Azam stood down as leader.
Pakistan has named Shaheen Afridi as its new T20I captain and Shan Masood as its new Test captain, as well as new coaching staff, to prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy.
