Rahmanullah Gurbaz recently recalled an emotional incident with Babar Azam during the ODI World Cup. The incident took place when Babar Azam gifted Gurbaz a bat after Afghanistan defeated Pakistan for the first time in their history chasing down 282 by eight wickets. The then-Pakistani Skipper faced a lot of criticism after the incident as Pakistan was on the verge of being eliminated following that defeat.
The Afghan Opening Batsman played a crucial knock of 65, setting the tone for his team chasing 282. Babar top-scored for Pakistan with his 74. The Afghani top-order tackled the Pakistani bowlers with ease and reached the target in 49 overs sealing a comfortable victory.
Babar Azam was so dejected- Rahmanullah Gurbaz
Pakistan’s loss to Afghanistan meant that they had to win all their upcoming to make it to the semifinals and eventually fell short finishing the tournament in fifth place. Recalling that incident with India today Gurbaz has said Babar Azam was about to cry after the match and praised him for staying strong. He said,
“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,” said Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
“We beat Pakistan, and then I asked for his bat. Once he brought the bat, he was so disappointed and I can feel as a player. 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,” he added.
Also Read: ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: “Ben Stokes Has Got To Come Back In If He Is Fit”- Nasser Hussain