- Babar denies Pakistan captaincy has affected his form at World Cup

Pakistan’s Babar Azam believes that the pressure of captaincy has not affected his batting performance at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. He is not concerned about whether he will continue as captain after the tournament. Pakistan is currently in fifth place in the points table and faces a difficult task of reaching the semi-finals. They must win their final group match against England and also significantly improve their net run-rate. If Pakistan bats first, they would need to beat England by at least 287 runs to surpass New Zealand’s position in the standings. Despite speculation about his captaincy, Babar is focused on ending the group stage with a victory. He stated that he will address his future as captain once they return to Pakistan. Babar entered the World Cup as the top-ranked ODI batter, but his average of 40.28 is lower than three of his teammates. Some former players have criticized his leadership abilities. However, Babar denied that the captaincy has affected his batting form and stated that he has never felt pressure as captain. He acknowledged that he has not performed as well as he should have in the World Cup, leading to speculation about his pressure. Babar mentioned that he has been the leading performer and captain for the team over the past three years. He also expressed his frustration with the opinions and advice given by others, stating that if anyone wants to advise him, they can contact him directly. The article was reported by Amlan Chakraborty in Kolkata and edited by Ken Ferris. The article adheres to the Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.