Islamabad
\nFormer Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf said that he heard that current skipper Babar Azam cried after the loss to Afghanistan in the ICC Men\u2019s World Cup 2023 match on Monday.
\nExpressing concern for the prolific batter, who tops the ICC Batting Rankings, Yousuf said that he and the entire nation stand behind Babar during this difficult phase.
\nIn the match that took place on October 23 between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Afghan team displayed a remarkable performance and secured an eight-wicket victory over the national team.
\nIn the post-match press conference, Babar was visibly disappointed and dejected as he voiced his concerns.
\n\u201cI watched the press conference very carefully, in which Babar looked very worried, I heard that he was crying,\u201d Yousuf said while speaking on a private TV channel.
\n\u201cThe outcome of a match should not be attributed to one individual but should be seen as a collective effort involving the entire team and coaching staff,\u201d he added.
\nThe former batter said that Pakistan should support Babar and the team since they are still not out of the competition.
\n\u201cLosing is a natural part of the game, and we should all support Babar during this difficult time. We all feel the pain, and it\u2019s something every player goes through.\u201d
\nYousuf also pointed out certain areas for serious discussion, including Pakistan\u2019s low run total against Afghanistan and the performance of their bowlers. He mentioned that the team appeared to have a fear of losing or losing wickets.
\n\u2018Don\u2019t know what players are thinking\u2019, Babar Azam
\nIn his post-match conference, Babar reprimanded the team\u2019s poor fielding performance leading to a humiliating World Cup 2023 loss against Afghanistan in Chennai\u2019s Chidambaram Stadium.
\nBabar blamed below-par performances in bowling and fielding departments for their consecutive third loss in the ongoing mega event.
\n\u201cPlayers are absent-minded during fielding […] don\u2019t know what they are thinking,\u201d the skipper said while admitting that the team is \u201csaddened\u201d after today\u2019s loss.
\n\u201cWe didn\u2019t perform well in bowling and fielding [departments]\u201d, he said and also acknowledged that the \u201cspinners didn\u2019t bowl well in the middle overs and didn\u2019t put [enough] pressure [on Afghan batters].\u201d
\nThe 29-year-old also turned down any \u201cadded captaincy pressure\u201d and said that he keeps both aspects of his responsibilities separate from each other.
\n\u201cThere is no truth in [team] being under pressure after India\u2019s loss.\u201d
\n\u201cOur [game] plans are not seeing success […] Whatever we plan, is not being implemented to the fullest,\u201d the skipper added.
\nBabar also congratulated Afghanistan on their historic win while reiterating his commitment to win the remaining matches of the World Cup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad Former Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf said that he heard that current skipper Babar Azam cried after the loss to Afghanistan in the ICC Men\u2019s World Cup 2023 match on Monday. Expressing concern for the prolific batter, who tops the ICC Batting Rankings, Yousuf said that he and the entire nation stand behind Babar during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-364065","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n