'Pooch ke thodi bouncer karenge' - Babar Azam's raw clip from net session ahead Sri Lanka Tests grabs attention

Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all set to take on each other in a two-match Test series starting on Sunday, July 16 at Galle International Stadium, Galle. Ahead of the series, Pakistan captain Babar Azam was spotted practicing in the nets to prepare for his return to the cricket pitch after two months. In the viral video, Babar could be seen angry at himself in the beginning for not being able to time the ball well.

He even practiced to bat against the short ball by asking the person bowling throwdowns to surprise him with bouncers. Following that, he could be seen taking on the short balls and ducking a few as well. The Pakistan captain is counted among the best batters in international cricket and he put his wide array of strokes on display in the nets.

Watch the video here:

Babar Azam uncensored during the the practice session 🗣️

'Babar day bachay' , 'Oye Lala' , 'Pooch ke thori bouncer karaingay'

Video courtesy: @zaidhassan89 #SLvPAK #BabarAzam pic.twitter.com/eSmCNfIQfv

— Cricket Pakistan (@cricketpakcompk) July 11, 2023

Babar last played in Tests against New Zealand in December-January 2022-23 where he finished as the sixth-highest run-getter with 226 runs to his name from four innings at an average of 56.50 with one hundred to his name. 

In the 47 Tests played in his career so far, Babar has scored 3696 runs at an average of 48.63 with nine hundreds and 26 fifties to his name. The Pakistan captain ranks on the third spot in the ICC Test batters rankings with 862 ratings. The Lahore-born cricketer was also bestowed with the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for being named the Cricketer of the Year by ICC in 2022.

Pakistan drew last series vs SL 1-1

Meanwhile, Pakistan will be touring Sri Lanka for the second consecutive year after they drew the last series (1-1) in 2022. The series will also mark the beginning of the World Test Championship cycle 2023-25 for both teams. Sri Lanka finished on the fifth spot in the last cycle with five wins from 12 matches while Pakistan finished on the seventh spot with four wins from 14 matches. Both teams will be eager to start the next cycle on a winning note by beating each other.