'You work out who your true allies are' – Babar Azam Opens Up After Scoring Long-Awaited Century

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka quite comprehensively in the 2nd ODI at Rawalpindi. The star of their victory was none other than Babar Azam, who stole the limelight in the chase by scoring a superlative century. It was an innings long-awaited from Babar Azam, as he had been struggling to play a big knock in international cricket for quite some time.

Scoring a century, too in a big chase brought a sense of relief in Babar Azam. During the past year, he faced plenty of criticism from the media and various cricket experts, which affected his game to some extent. However, his comeback with a stunning century has put those concerns to rest, and he now feels confident about carrying the same form into the upcoming matches.

Speaking to the media after the match, Babar Azam said that he has always appreciated the support of the fans, even during tough times. This has given him a clear picture of who his real allies are and who stood by him when he was struggling to score runs.

"The amount of support I got from my fans, not just in Islamabad but everywhere, was great. I got support everywhere in Pakistan, and it gave me a huge boost. The fans never deserted me in my hard times. It's in those hard times that you work out who your true allies are,” said Babar Azam at the post-match press conference in Rawalpindi.

Speaking about the match approach, Babar said that he tried to build a strong partnership with Fakhar Zaman to steer the chase. He made sure to give Fakhar the strike as much as possible, as he was timing the ball effectively during the second innings.

"When our innings began, we wanted to build a partnership. When Fakhar [Zaman] and I were playing, I was giving Fakhar the strike as much as possible, because he's a player who can change a game. The longer he's out there, the other team's in pressure,” said Babar Azam while talking to the reporters.

He added that after the dismissal of Fakhar Zaman, he focused on building a partnership with Mohammad Rizwan, who also played positively during the second innings. Both of them ensured to keep the required run-rate under check, so that the chase of the target does not become difficult.

"Then Rizi [Mohammad Rizwan] and I were planning on playing according to the situation and doing what was required. We played according to that and built our partnership. I was backing my strengths and had confidence in myself," said Babar Azam.

 

Keeping the Belief Strong During the Tough Phase

Describing the phase when he was not scoring runs consistently, Babar said it was a tough period during which he felt some pressure. However, he never let hope fade, as he kept believing in himself and aimed to make a comeback soon.

"It was a tough time. But I backed myself, worked on what I needed to improve, as well as my fitness. In the end, it's about belief. These things will go on in your life and you can get stuck in a negative thought process, asking why it's all happening to me. But you need to stick to your plan and believe that you'll get your reward," said Babar Azam.

He further added that scoring runs always gives a batter plenty of confidence. He said his runs hadn’t come consistently for a long time, but he always believed in himself to rediscover his form. He worked hard to get back to his best, focusing especially on fitness and improving certain areas of his game.

"Whenever you score runs, your confidence goes to a different level. It's been a long period, but I backed myself and never compromised on my hard work. I believed in myself, and that's the most important thing," said Babar Azam.

The star batter then spoke about the importance of keeping negative thoughts at bay, as they can harm your confidence and distract you from putting in the necessary hard work.

"Lots of thoughts come into your mind about what's happening to you. Lots of coaches talk to you and give you various kinds of advice. Then you have to assess what is working for you," said Babar Azam.