Babar Azam’s captaincy criticized, but his kind gestures towards Afghanistan earn admiration and support.

Babar Azam’s Sportsmanship in ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam and his men have, over the period, built a reputation of being the “nice guys” on and off the field. The camaraderie and mutual respect Pakistan team share for their opponents was at full display on Monday when the Men in Green went up against a spirited Afghanistan at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

While batting first, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was praised by one and many when he opened his gloves to tie his shoelaces. Afghanistan’s Mohammad Nabi quickly approached him to assist the Pakistan skipper but was politely turned away. Babar denied Nabi from touching his feet, as a mark of respect.

It was a heartfelt gesture by Azam, one that resonated with many on social media.

Also Read: Pakistani Fans Tear Apart Babar Azam’s Men After Humbling Loss to Afghanistan in ICC World Cup 2023

Babar Azam also gifted his bat to Rahmanullah Gurbaz. Opener Gurbaz slammed a handy 65 that set a perfect tone to Afghanistan’s commanding run chase to beat Pakistan’s target of 283.

Babar’s heartfelt gesture and sportsmanship towards his opponents left a few Pakistani fans rather confused as one of them hilariously compared the Pakistani captain to Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Bollywood hit Mohabbatein. The tweet loosely translated to: “Why is Babar Azam being so nice? Is he here to set an example?”

Others, however, didn’t go as easy on their captain.

Also Read: Imam-ul-Haq Trolled Brutally for Saying Pakistan Batters Have to Eat More Protein to Hit Sixes

Not only Babar but Mohammad Rizwan also conjured praises when he jumped to help Ibrahim Zadran down with cramping muscles.

But for the team and Pakistani fans, it was a forgetful day at best that they would like to completely erase from their memories soon. After having put up 282/7 on the board with Babar top-scoring with 77, one had anticipated a fight back from the Pakistani bowling attack. Afghanistan had no trouble crushing the target and they did so with ease, style, and 8 wickets still in hand.

Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65) and Ibrahim Zadran (87) scripted a dominant 130 run-stand before Rahmat Shah (77*) and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi (48*) took over the proceedings and got Afghanistan home with 6 deliveries to spare.

This was Afghanistan’s first-ever win over Pakistan in an ODI game.