[Pictures] Babar Azam skips former Pakistan captain’s dinner party ahead of PAK vs NZ 4th ODI

Pakistan captain Babar Azam recently skipped the Pakistan cricket team’s dinner party hosted by ex-skipper Shahid Afridi on Thursday, May 4 ahead of the fourth ODI against New Zealand in Karachi.

Afridi shared multiple pictures with the team, including Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, and Shaheen Afridi, among others, as they posed for the camera, but Babar was nowhere to be seen. The players looked in high spirits as they enjoyed the company of their own teammates and relished the sumptuous meal.

It remains uncertain whether Babar missed the party due to personal or professional commitments.

Sharing the pictures on Twitter, Afridi captioned the post:

“Hosted Pakistan’s heroes for dinner, super proud of each one of you. Good luck for tomorrow [PakvsNZ match].”

For the uninitiated, Afridi recently served as interim chief selector of the Pakistan Cricket Board under new PCB chief Najam Sethi following Mohammad Wasim’s axe from the selection committee.

Former Pakistan cricketer Haroon Rashid replaced Afridi as chief selector because he didn’t want to play the role for a long term due to personal reasons.

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“Babar Azam has not yet proved himself as a match-winner” – Shahid Afridi

Shahid Afridi, in a recent interview, pointed out that Babar Azam has yet to establish himself as a match-winner. He took the example of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers for their ability to win games for their teams. Speaking to a local TV channel, he said:

"No doubt, Babar is the number one player in the world, and he is the pride of the Pakistan cricket team. However, one thing that stops him from being named along with the likes of AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli is finishing games. Babar Azam has not yet proved himself as a match-winner."

Babar recently scored 130 runs in four games at a strike rate of 146.07 in the T20I series against New Zealand. The 28-year-old has already amassed 168 runs in three ODIs at an average of 56, with scores of 49, 65 and 54. His efforts have helped the team to take a unassailable lead of 3-0 in the series, with the fourth match currently being played at Karachi.

Follow PAK vs NZ 4th ODI live score updates here.