‘Babar is an asset, Pakistani fans should value him,’ says former Scottish cricketer Qasim Sheikh

KARACHI: Scotland’s former cricketer Qasim Sheikh, who has roots in Pakistan, highly praised the national star batter Babar Azam. 

Speaking to GeoSuper.tv, Sheikh, who recently commentated during Karachi Tapeball Premier League (KTPL) season 4, reiterated that Pakistani fans and former cricketers should recognise the value of Babar. 

“Babar is an asset. I often hear many Pakistani fans and former cricketers bashing him for his poor form. See, form comes and goes, but class remains there. You have to back him in his tough times. He is a world-class player,” said Qasim who represented Scotland in seven ODIs. 

Babar was highly criticised for not getting rhythm in his batting. After 19 Test innings, Babar was able to score a fifty against South Africa. He scored three fifties in the Test series against South Africa, which Pakistan lost 2-0. 

Qasim also talked about the emotions Pakistani fans bring to the game of cricket. “I have a special love for Pakistan and the fans here. They bring so much energy into the game of cricket,” he highlighted. 

“I also started playing cricket because of Pakistan. My uncle used to play cricket in Lahore. Back in the days when I was four, I came to Pakistan to attend a wedding ceremony and from there, it all started,” he shared. 

The left-handed batter represented Scotland in the 2007 World Cup. He also played first-class cricket in Pakistan while representing Customs in departmental cricket. Last year during the T20 World Cup in the USA, he also represented Scotland as a commentator.