‘Time to grow up a bit’ - Shoaib Akhtar lambasts ICC for leaving Babar Azam out of 2023 ODI World Cup Promo

Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar took to his social media handle to express his displeasure over International Cricket Council’s (ICC) promotional video for the forthcoming ODI World Cup, slated to be played in India in October. Akhtar was left disappointed with the absence of Pakistan skipper Babar Azam from the promotional video and aimed a dig at the apex cricket council.

Notably, the ICC shared a special montage of the cricketing moment’s from the previous editions of the World Cup, titled 'It Only Takes One Day', narrated by megastar Shah Rukh Khan, which features the likes of Jemimah Rodrigues, Dinesh Karthik, Jonty Rhodes, and Muttiah Muralitharan among others. Infuriated with the exclusion of Babar Azam from the promotional video, Akhtar lambasted ICC on the promo on his social media.

Whoever thought that World Cup promo will be complete without Pakistan & Babar Azam's significant presence, has actually presented himself as a joke.
Come on guys, time to grow up a bit.

— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) July 22, 2023

“Whoever thought that World Cup promo will be complete without Pakistan & Babar Azam's significant presence, has actually presented himself as a joke. Come on guys, time to grow up a bit,” Shoaib Akhtar captioned on his Twitter handle. 

Pakistan gearing up for Asia Cup 2023  

Speaking about the Babar Azam-led side, Pakistan won the first Test against Sri Lanka in the two-Test series and will be gunning to clinch the second red-ball clash in Colombo. Following the conclusion of the Test series, Pakistan will turn their attention towards the much-awaited Asia Cup 2023. 

The Men in Green will kickstart proceedings of the ACC event as they lock horns with Nepal on August 30 in Multan. The eagerly-anticipated clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on September 2 in Pallekele.

In addition to this, the two rivals will clash again at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India on October 15 at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Pakistan, like other teams in the mix in the Asia Cup, will look to make the most of the event and aim to obtain a core setup just in time for the ODI World Cup.