The fast bowler for Peshawar Zalmi, Naveen-ul-Haq, recently discussed his experiences playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 under Babar Azam‘s leadership. The Afghanistan pacer recently complimented Babar Azam on his leadership and stated how pleased he was to be playing in the current Pakistan Super League (PSL) season under the former captain of Pakistan.
With three wins and two losses, Peshawar Zalmi is presently third in the six-team competition under Babar’s leadership. Naveen, on the other hand, has only appeared in three games for the team and has taken five wickets at an average of 27. But as they try to qualify for the playoffs, his economy of over 11 has been worrying for the team.
With a victory percentage of more than 58, Babar guided Pakistan to remarkable success in 134 matches across all formats, winning 78 and losing 44. But he had to step down as the captain of the national team after performing miserably in the Asia Cup and the World Cup that followed last year.
We are all enjoying much under his captaincy- Naveen-ul-Haq on Babar Azam’s captaincy
In a podcast on the team’s YouTube page, Naveen spoke frankly about his experiences under Babar’s captaincy. He described Babar Azam as a “very calm” leader who maintains command under pressure.
“From what I have seen, [he is] very chilled, very relaxed. At this stage, you cannot say things to your bowlers or fielders at every instance, you have to step up whenever it is required. All this can be seen [in Babar’s captaincy], we are all enjoying much under his captaincy,” stated Naveen.
You need a leader who remains calm and keeps the team intact- Naveen-ul-Haq
Naveen-ul-Haq added that the players found it easy to communicate with skipper Babar Azam because of his comfortable attitude. In 2021 and 2022, the team captained by the former captain of Pakistan guided them to consecutive T20 World Cup semifinals and finals
“Communication with Babar is very easy, we are both very calm personalities, and there have been no problems between us so far. I believe that when you are calm on the field, it benefits your team. There comes a time when you are having difficulty on the field or you lose, that time you need a leader who remains calm and keeps the team intact,” said Naveen.
“If your captain starts to get aggressive and hyper, then it becomes difficult for the entire team. In our first [PSL] match in Multan, I observed that Babar bhai was very calm, everything has been good,” he added.
On March 5, the Babar Azam-led team will play the table toppers Multan Sultans in a crucial PSL 2024 match in Rawalpindi.