Aussie coach backs embattled Babar

‘If there was a player like Babar in Australia, we would have been supporting him’

SYDNEY:

Australian power-hitting coach Shannon Young has lauded Pakistan’s white-ball skipper Babar Azam as a world-class player, emphasizing the disparity in how top players are perceived and treated in different cricketing nations.

During an interaction with a local sports reporter, Young remarked that if a player of Babar’s caliber were in Australia, they would receive more respect and less criticism compared to Pakistan.

“He [Babar] is well; he is a world-class player. If there was a player like Babar [Azam] in Australia, we would have been supporting him instead of criticising him. In Australia, we back them in, and we say they’ve been world-class players, they’re gonna be world-class players again,” Young said.

“I think sometimes the passion tips over that these guys carry so much expectation through Pakistan’s one of the best players in the world; he’s gonna be fine,” he added.

The batting coach also announced plans for next year to bring young cricketers to Pakistan and host Australian cricketers for high-performance training sessions.

“We’re hoping that maybe April. Previously, I’ve always wanted to come to Pakistan, so I got the opportunity, and I knew really early on that Australians would love Pakistan. So we’re gonna bring hopefully a couple of tours to play cricket here,” he said.

Reflecting on his visit, Young expressed his long-standing desire to visit Pakistan.

“I’ve always wanted to visit Pakistan, and now I got the chance. First, I spent four days in Karachi, and now I’m in Lahore for another four days. In the past, I’ve toured India many times with cricketers,” he said.

During his visit, Young had the chance to meet with two Pakistani cricket captains, Azhar Ali and Babar Azam.

He also praised Azhar Ali for his contributions to cricket development through his academy, describing it as fantastic.