Afghanistan’s head coach Umar Gul said that aspiring cricketers could look up to players like Virat Kohli and Babar Azam.
Afghanistan’s head coach Umar Gul said that aspiring cricketers could look up to players like Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. Umar Gul, the bowling coach for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team and a former pacer for the Pakistan National Cricket Team, said that Babar Azam, the captain of Pakistan, and Virat Kohli, the former captain of India, are “role models for aspiring cricketers” and that young players can learn from them.
Asia Cup 2022
On September 7, Mohammad Nabi led Afghanistan National Cricket Team (B2) against Babar Azam’s Pakistan National Cricket Team (A2) in Match 4 of the Super 4 round of the Asia Cup 2022. The match took place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Afghanistan’s bowling coach, Umar Gul, told reporters on Monday, the day before the match between Afghanistan and Pakistan, that Babar Azam is a top-notch player and that Pakistan depends a lot on him. He also said that the fact that the 27-year-old doesn’t do well against Afghanistan would help Mohammad Nabi and his team.
Gul’s Take
“Babar is a top player, the team is dependent on him. If he performs a good foundation is laid which takes the pressure off the middle order. I also wish him good luck so that he does score runs because players like him and Virat are watched by a lot of youngsters. They are role models for aspiring cricketers and they learn from them.”
“It’s great to watch players like them bat. Babar has not performed in the past 2-3 matches, Virat is also searching for top-form but these players are technically sound, and will not take long to gain form and score runs. If Babar does not perform well in the match it will definitely be advantageous for Afghanistan,” he said.
Hopes for their players
Gul also said that the players from Afghanistan could definitely cause problems for Team Pakistan in the important Super 4 game. He also said that they had made special plans to deal with the threat of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar, Pakistan’s dangerous opening pair. He said:
“Feeling is good in the team, Afghanistan has played great cricket and we can give tough time to Pakistan. We have planned for Babar and Rizwan, hopeful our players can execute them.”
Umar Gul also said that the Afghan fast bowlers did a good job in the Super 4 match against Sri Lanka, which Mohammad Nabi’s team lost. He said:
“The bowling was not that bad. We missed a few chances which proved to be critical.”
More updates on the players
The Afghanistan coach also gave an update on all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai’s health. Omarzai missed the game against Sri Lanka because he was sick. Gul said:
“Azmat is a good bowler and important for us. He is skiddy and generates good pace, bowls well in the middle overs and we missed his services in the last match. Hope he passes the fitness test to play. We are checking his fitness test as he practiced yesterday and today.”
The former fast bowler for Pakistan also said what he would do against Rizwan and Babar. He claimed:
“They are good players but we have plans for them, mistakes will be rectified from the previous match and it will be a good contest between the teams.”