Babar Azam fans fume at Sana Mir s strike-rate comments

May 1, 2023 10:41 AM

Former Pakistan women's cricket team captain Sana Mir was in hot water after she was targeted by diehard fans of men's cricket team captain Babar Azam.

Fakhar Zaman's sensational run of form persisted as he hammered yet another century, steering Pakistan to a seven-wicket triumph against New Zealand in the second One-day international (ODI) at Pindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

The left-handed opener scored a remarkable unbeaten 180 off 144 balls, marking his third consecutive ODI hundred and tenth overall.

During the post-match analysis, Sana Mir praised Fakhar's performance and highlighted his importance to the team. However, her comments were perceived by some Babar Azam fans as an indirect dig at the current Pakistan men's captain.

This is because Babar has faced criticism in the past for his strike-rate, with some fans and former cricketers suggesting that he doesn't score runs quickly enough.
Sana Mir's comments, which emphasized Fakhar's ability to score runs at a good strike-rate while chasing a high target, were seen by some as a contrast to Babar's approach.

"We were talking off-air as well that his [Fakhar] runs are always for the team. If he scores a century, he does it at a strike-rate of 125, which is important when you are chasing a target close to 350, and not at a strike-rate of 100. That is the reason why he is crucial for this team, because where we already have players who play at run-a-ball, his role becomes crucial to chase 300-run-plus targets," Mir said.