World Cup 2019: Babar Azam encounters a bizarre question after scoring 112 vs Afghanistan

For cricketers from the sub-continent, it is always a catching-up game as far as the expectations are concerned. Especially when it comes to a mega event like the ICC World Cup, the media and fans are often merciless whenever the results are not going in favour of teams. Players often face uncomfortable and sometimes even bizarre questions and they have to deal with them with patience.

Pakistan batsman Babar Azam had such an experience recently. On Friday, in the post-match conference following the team’s stunning three-wicket loss to Afghanistan in the first warm-up game before the World Cup, the 24-year-old batsman faced an uncomfortable question from a journalist and he had no other option but to go after it aggressively.

Babar, who is in a good nick, came out to bat at No.3 after Pakistan were 47 for 1 and even as the side faced a mini-collapse, he held one end together and went on to score a hundred (112) in 108 balls at a strike rate of 82. Veteran Shoaib Malik (44) gave him company as the duo added 103 runs for the fifth wicket to help Pakistan score 262 in 47.5 overs. The score wasn’t enough for them to contain the Afghanistan batsmen as they overhauled the target in the final over, losing seven wickets.

Journalist tells Babar Azam he scored the laziest century on a dead pitch

When Babar appeared before the press, apart from all the other questions, the concerned journalist told him that he had scored the laziest of centuries in the history of the game and that too on a dead pitch. While the reality is that the rest of the ten Pakistani batsmen together contributed 147 runs in 179 balls at a strike rate of 83.

Babar Azam was not just ready to take it and said, “Sir, you may think so but I play according to the plan the team sets for me. I don’t play for myself. This is not my team. This is Pakistan team for which I play. My job was to build partnership. If I had also gone out, even this much total would not have been possible.”

Here is the video of the press conference:

Babar Azam: 112 off 108 balls, SR 103
10 other Pakistani batsmen: 147/9 off 179 balls, SR 82

Journalist to Babar Azam: You made the laziest century in the history of cricket on a dead pitch 🤦🏽‍♂️pic.twitter.com/jjl1RE3BUL

— Abdullah Ansari (@Abdullah719_) May 24, 2019