 "Ex-Pakistan pacer urges Babar, Rizwan to follow Kohli's example after Asia Cup snub: 'Consider retiring…’")
Pakistan batting stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have been advised to follow Virat Kohli’s footsteps and announce their retirement after getting overlooked by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. The only difference is that while Kohli remains active in One-Day Internationals, ex-Pakistan pacer Tanveer Ahmed has advised Babar and Rizwan to retire from international cricket altogether in order to preserve their “respect”, his comment causing quite the stir on social media.
Unlike Babar and Rizwan, senior pacer Shaheen Afridi has been included along with senior pacers Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali as well as veteran opener Fakhar Zaman in the 17-man squad led by Salman Agha.
“Meri Babar Azam aur Rizwan say request hai ager ap log yeh samajhtey hain ap logon ke izzat nahi ha tou retirement ley lo international cricket say humarey samne virat kohli ke examples hain. @babarazam258, @iMRizwanPak izzat apney hath main ha (My request to Babar Azam and Rizwan is that if you feel your respect is not intact, then consider retiring from international cricket. We have examples of Virat Kohli in front of us. Babar and Rizwan, respect is in your hands),” Tanveer tweeted.
How Babar and Rizwan fell out of favour in the shortest format
Babar and Rizwan had starred in Pakistan’s historic victory over India in Dubai, where the arch-rivals will square off on 14 September, in the 2021 T20 World Cup. It was the first time Pakistan had ever defeat India in a World Cup match – either ODI or T20. The duo had also played a key role in guiding the Men in Green to the T20 World Cup final the very next year, with Pakistan falling short in the final hurdle against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Their T20 stocks, however, nosedived after Pakistan’s dismal campaign in last year’s T20 World Cup in the United States and the Caribbean, where they crashed out in the first round following defeats against co-hosts USA as well as India.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsKohli had retired from T20Is along with Rohit Sharma after the two superstars propelled India to victory in last year’s T20 World Cup. The two would also announce their retirement from the Test format within a week of one another in May, nearly half-a-year after a their underwhelming run in the five-match Test series against Australia Down Under.
While Rohit’s retirement was largely along expected lines, it’s was Kohli’s Test retirement that took the cricketing world by surprise, leading to an outpouring of tributes.
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