While the world lauded Pakistan captain Babar Azam for his resilience and stamina on the ground, little was known to the world that the phenomenal batter was also undergoing an emotional struggle as his mother was hospitalized on the day of the match.
Azam’s mother was on a ventilator when he played the T20 World Cup match against arch-rivals India, his father revealed on Saturday.
The 27-year-old Azam, who scored a brilliant half-century stitched an unbeaten 152-run alliance with wicketkeeper-batter Rizwan as Pakistan crush India to claim the top spot in Group 2 standings of T20 World Cup 2021.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Azam’s father penned down a message. He said that the Pakistan captain played all three World Cup games “in severe distress”.
“It is time for my nation to know some truth,” wrote Azam Siddiqui as he shared an endearing photo with his wife and the cricketer. “Congratulations to all of you on the victory in all three games. Our family was put through a tough test during this time as on the day of the match against India as Babar’s mother was on a ventilator.”
“Babar played these three matches under great distress,” he added. “I should not have gone to watch the match [considering the situation] but I didn’t want Babar to feel weak.”
Babar’s mother had undergone surgery but has since recovered.
Chasing 152, captain Azam and Mohammad Rizwan batted from start to finish. The two made India’s ‘world-class’ bowling attack look ordinary for once.
Babar Azam’s father breaks into tears
Overjoyed and ecstatic with the victory of such magnitude, and seeing his son’s brilliant knock, the father of Azam could not hold back his tears and broke down after Pakistan beat India in the T20 match. In a video circulating on social media, he was seen getting congratulated by a plethora of fans and friends.
The loss is not only India’s first at a World Cup to Pakistan but is also their first-ever 10-wicket defeat in T20 internationals.
In Azam and Rizwan, Pakistan possesses two of the best, most productive, and reliable opening batsmen around. In fact, Pakistan has probably never had an opening pairing as good as them since the days of Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail.
Pakistan has won all their three Super 12 games in the tournament and is well-placed to reach the semifinals. We next face Namibia in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
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