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Star Pakistani players Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan did not find any takers at the recently concluded The Hundred Draft on Wednesday, March 20.
Babar and Rizwan were among the notable names who did not fetch a contract at the event. It is worth mentioning that this was the fourth time on the trot that the two went unsold at The Hundred Draft.
The other prominent international cricketers who remained unsold include David Warner, Sunil Narine, Tim David, Kane Williamson, and Jason Roy. The upcoming season kicks off in July 2023.
Both Babar and Rizwan have been proven performers in T20 cricket. Babar was the highest run-getter in this year's Pakistan Super League (PSL 2024), scoring 569 runs across 11 innings.
Rizwan also impressed many with his batting exploits in the edition, finishing with 407 runs from 12 outings. The two were trolled by many on social media for going unsold yet again at The Hundred Draft.
Here are some of the top reactions:
While Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan failed to attract any buyers, the likes of Shaheen Afridi (Welsh Fire), Naseem Shah (Birmingham Phoenix), and Imad Wasim (Trent Rockets) were among the Pakistani players to secure deals.
"I wasn’t satisfied with the decision" - Babar Azam on being asked to bat at No. 3 for Pakistan in T20Is
Babar Azam recently stated that he was unhappy after losing his opening spot in Pakistan's T20I team. The ace batter suggested that he agreed to do it because the team needed it.
The 29-year-old opened with Mohammad Rizwan for Pakistan in T20Is for a considerable amount of time. However, things changed under new skipper Shaheen Afridi's captaincy, as Babar was demoted to No. 3 in the Men in Green's five-match T20I series against New Zealand earlier this year.
Speaking about the change, Babar said at a media interaction during PSL 2024:
"I wasn't under any pressure to score runs as an opener [for Zalmi]. I don’t take pressure off anything. It was the Pakistan team’s demand at the time. I did that for Pakistan. If I was asked individually, I wasn’t satisfied with the decision to bat at one down position. However, I did that for Pakistan."
With 3,698 runs from 103 innings at a strike rate of 129.12, Babar Azam is the most prolific batter for the Men in Green in T20Is.
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