Azhar Mahmood, Pakistan's assistant coach, refuted claims made by Wasim Akram that Babar Azam and Shaheen Shah Afridi are not on speaking terms. Mahmood asserted that both players are indeed good friends.
After Pakistan's loss to India on June 9, Wasim Akram criticised the players and suggested they be replaced, insinuating that Babar and Shaheen, key players in the team, were not communicating and should be sent home.
However, Mahmood dismissed Akram's claims ahead of Pakistan's crucial match against Canada. He stated that he sees no issues between Babar and Shaheen, emphasising their friendship and their integral roles in the team.
Pakistan has had a disappointing tournament so far, facing defeat against the USA followed by a poor batting performance against India. Mahmood acknowledged the team management's responsibility for the poor performance and emphasised that they were not shielding any players.
As Pakistan prepares to face Canada on June 11, Mahmood highlighted the importance of the match in retaining their chances of progressing to the Super 8 stages of the competition.