Shaheen and Babar are definitely talking: Azhar Mahmood dismisses rumours of rift between the players

A can of worms were opened after Pakistan’s loss to India on Thursday with former captain Wasim Akram also indicating that things were not well behind the scenes between captain Babar Azam and pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi, with the two apparently not even in talking terms.

Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood, however, has denied any rift between the two players.

“Wasim must have said that, but I don’t know. I didn’t see it. Shaheen and Babar are definitely talking, they are good friends. They are both part of the Pakistan team. We have not lost because of anyone, it is our mistake too,” Mahmood said referring to the team’s six-run loss to India in which it failed to chase down a 120-run target.

“We are not hiding any players, everyone is there. Everything is there. I said earlier that we are a team. Obviously, we’re sitting here, and it’s our responsibility. We’re not delivering. That’s why I’m sitting here. Yesterday, Gary (Kirsten) was sitting here. So definitely, it’s not like we’re hiding a player. They’re part of us,” he added.

Mahmood, chief selector Wahab Riaz and skipper Babar were seen enjoying a dinner at a restaurant here after the loss to India, which led to angry reactions from fans.

“You were there. I’m telling you; you were there. I saw you there too,” Mahmood hit back at the Pakistani reporter, who asked this question.

“The thing is, we are a very emotional nation. I mean, it’s not possible that if you lose a match, your life will be over. Yes, how will you do it? If you lose a match and then you come to the room and bang the walls of the room, then you need a little time to relax your mind.

“Now, obviously, our players are not like that. I’ve been with English teams, too. If they go to a place like that, you can only go to eat, that’s our entertainment.”

Get latest updates on T20 World Cup along with live score updates for all matches.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.