England tour a test for Babar, says Afridi

LAHORE: Former captain Shahid Afridi believes that the tour of England is a test of Babar Azam’s leadership skills and there is a huge responsibility on other players too to support the young captain to achieve the desired results.

“Babar Azam is the backbone of the batting line-up and I want him to continue to perform well,” he said in an interview. He said that there is no problem in holding matches without spectators. “If our players play Tests against England in an empty ground, it won’t be anything new because there are few spectators in our domestic matches.

“They are used to playing in empty grounds but the absence of fans in one-day and T20 games will definitely make a difference as these formats require more enthusiasm and energy. And the enthusiasm of the fans motivates the players to perform well,” he said. “However, the players who feel pressure in the crowd have the opportunity to perform well in an empty ground,” he added.