Christchurch: Pakistan captain Babar Azam has emphasized the importance of staying committed during these difficult times on the tour of New Zealand.
Pakistan squad is yet to start training for the all-important series as 10-member out of 53 have tested positive for COVID-19 and the team is under hard managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ).
“Representing Pakistan is an honor but one has to remain dedicated when problems occur as it’s part of life,” said Babar in a video released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). “We should know how to tackle these issues as a professional,” he added.
The 26-year-old Babar is the first one to address from Christchurch after the team’s arrival in New Zealand. He highlighted that the bio-secure situation is different here compared to the team’s tour of England.
Two more members of Pakistan squad test positive for COVID-19 in NZ
“The situation is completely opposite and different here from the England tour. We are missing training but as soon as it will start, these things will be left behind as our focus will only be on cricket. Each squad member is quite hungry in terms of getting back on the field,” he added.
As the 53-member contingent is divided into four groups, Babar revealed that the senior player is leading them to stay bonded.
“Our squad is not a small one and has more than 50 members. We are divided into four groups and senior player is leading and handling in order to stay connected with each other,” he maintained.
Babar concluded that the team is gelled together and are still backing each other.
It must be noted that Pakistan’s 53-member contingent will travel to Queenstown where they will play intra-squad matches.
The first four-day match between Pakistan Shaheens and New Zealand A have been canceled on a special request of PCB. Shaheens will now only play one four-day match, scheduled to start from December 17.
We miss training but we are fully abiding by the covid protocols. I am sure once cricket resumes we will forget about the restrictions of isolation facility: Pakistan Captain Babar Azam pic.twitter.com/ZqhvmLhFT1
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) December 3, 2020
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.