“Ye Kya Baat Hui?”: Wahab unhappy when Babar refuses request during training

A video of Pakistan captain Babar Azam 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 of a six-hitting challenge between the country’s senior men’s cricket team and their support staff. When Wahab, who is the chief selector of the Pakistan men’s cricket team but is not part of the support staff, asked Babar to let him bat during the competition, the captain became visibly frustrated. Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan’s coach in the recently concluded New Zealand T20I series, sidelined Riaz.

Watch the video here:

Check out the batting competition with the Pakistan T20I team and support staff #PAKvNZ | #AaTenuMatchDikhawan pic.twitter.com/PFxcMJPmMJ

— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) April 25, 2024

Skipper Babar Azam hit a solid half-century while pace 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, leveling the series at 2-2.

But Pakistan’s victory only came in the final, with 12 to spare, as Josh Clarkson, 38, failed to threaten an assault, but two defeats from Mohammad Amir sealed the home victory to the delight of a full house at the Gaddafi Stadium.

The first match of the series was abandoned while Pakistan won the second and New Zealand the third by identical seven-wicket margins – all in Rawalpindi.

New Zealand won the fourth match, also in Lahore, by four runs.

The series gave both teams a kick-start in their preparations for the Twenty20 World Cup, which will be held in the United States and the West Indies in June.

Although Pakistan were disappointed not to win a series against a depleted New Zealand team without several players due to the Indian Premier League, unavailability and injuries, the visitors gained momentum from their bench strength.

(With AFP inputs)