Islamabad: Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi has praised the body language of India captain Rohit Sharma, highlighting his role in India’s title-winning run in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024. Afridi also raised concerns about Babar Azam’s leadership during the recently concluded tournament in the Americas. India broke their 11-year-old ICC title jinx after a thrilling seven-run victory against South Africa in Bridgetown, Barbados, securing the T20 World Cup trophy for the second time. In contrast, Pakistan failed to progress to the Super 8s, after losing to newcomers the United States and arch-rivals India during the Group stage.
“Look, the role of a leader is always very important. The body language of the leader becomes the body language of the team. The leader has to set an example. Take Rohit Sharma as an example,” Shahid Afridi said. Afridi, who has played 398 ODIs and 99 T20Is, emphasized that Rohit instills a sense of self-belief in his team with his aggressive style of play. “Now, look at his (Rohit’s) game and his style of playing; the lower-order batsmen who come in are all confident because the captain likes to play aggressive and attacking cricket. So, I always believe that the role of the captain is very important,” added Afridi.
“I don’t know what the PCB chairman has in mind now and I am also waiting to see what changes will be made, but I have always supported the team and will keep doing that.” He continued, “I am also waiting to see what these changes will be. A positive decision needs to be made, and the changes shouldn’t just be superficial. The real issue lies at the grassroots level of our cricket. Our product is weak at the grassroots level, and if we invest there, good players will emerge.” Afridi’s remarks underline the importance of strong leadership and effective grassroots development in achieving success in international cricket.
Afridi Lauds Rohit Sharma’s Leadership, Critiques Babar Azam Post World Cup
