Former Pakistan Test captain Sarfaraz Ahmed caught the eye in the Champions One-Day Cup on Thursday, with a sledge seemingly directed at Babar Azam.
In Thursday's match, the seventh of the tournament, the Saud Shakeel-led Dolphins took on the Stallions, captained by Mohammad Haris. Batting first, the Stallions got off to a solid start thanks to Shan Masood and Yasir Khan, who put on 76 for the first wicket.
Once Shan was dismissed, it brought Pakistan star Babar Azam to the crease, and his entrance was met by wild cheers from the spectators in Faisalabad.
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As young left-arm wrist-spinner Sufyan Moqim came into the attack for his first over of the day, Sarfaraz, the wicketkeeper for the Dolphins, in trying to encourage his teammates, was caught on the stump mic saying:
"No hurry, no hurry! Let them [the crowd] keep chirping 'Babar, Babar'. We'll make him play 40 overs, all the others will get out."
It is unclear what exactly Sarfaraz meant by his comments, but clips of the comment were circulated on social media, with fans online interpreting it as a dig from Sarfaraz at Babar's form and strike rate, which have been on the dip of late.
As it happened, Babar did dominate the strike thereafter. The rest of the lineup did not stick around for long, with Tayyab Tahir (33) making the most significant contribution. By the end of the innings, Stallions managed to post 271-7, and Babar eventually got to a century off 99 balls, finishing on 104 not out off 100 balls.
Watch Sarfaraz Ahmed's hilarious sledge here
Crowd goes wild in Fsd at Babar's arrival. Saifi to his bowlers: Bus inko babar babar krne dou isko 40 over khila denge 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Dgp0UOaDfs
— Mohammad Aizaz (@SeedaBalla93) September 19, 2024
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