Pakistan Reporter Shuts Down Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in Press Conference Ahead of PSL 2025

The pressure on Pakistan cricket continues to grow, and it was visible during the pre-PSL 2025 press conference when a tough question left Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan speechless. It was pacer Shaheen Afridi who stepped up and handled the situation.

The press conference, held ahead of the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), featured Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, and Shaheen Afridi together. During the session, a journalist asked Babar about Pakistan’s recent struggles to chase down totals above 200 in T20 matches.

“No doubt, the morale of the entire country is down at the moment, but where are we lacking? Is it the mindset or lack of intent as whenever a team scores over 200, we panic and fail to chase the target. Babar, can you please answer?” asked the reporter.

Babar had no answer. He turned to Mohammad Rizwan, but Rizwan too chose to remain silent. The awkward moment could have ended there, but Shaheen Afridi quickly took control.

“It’s our team, it’s Pakistan’s team,” Shaheen began. “See, you are talking about chasing 200. Honestly, it’s not just about the batters, it’s also the bowlers’ responsibility not to concede 200 runs. If you see, the pitches are good for batting. Even if we conceded 200 or more, we should do our best to chase it down. Similarly, it’s our job to defend such totals as well. We are a team. We are a family. If the performances have not been good of late, it’s our job to get Pakistan cricket back to the top.”

Babar Azam was asked why Pakistan fails in big chases.He asked Rizwan to answer, but Rizwan had no response.

Shaheen stepped in and said it's a team game, and they need to bowl better too.

A great gesture by Shaheen Shah Afridi.pic.twitter.com/FNyXPuHOhE

— junaiz (@dhillow_) April 10, 2025

Shaheen’s honest and composed reply helped diffuse the tension and brought the focus back on teamwork.

Pakistan cricket has been under the scanner for several months now. Their Champions Trophy 2025 campaign ended in the group stage after back-to-back defeats against New Zealand and India, crushing their title defence.

In the aftermath, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) decided to restructure the team with long-term planning for the T20 World Cup 2026 and ODI World Cup 2027. However, the change in approach did not bring instant results.

On the tour to New Zealand that followed the Champions Trophy, Pakistan played five T20Is and three ODIs. The T20I side, which mixed youth with experience, lost the series 4-1.

Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan returned for the ODI series, but the results were no better. New Zealand dominated and handed Pakistan a 3-0 whitewash, adding to the growing concerns around the team’s direction.

With PSL 2025 now underway, all eyes will be on the top players to bounce back and bring some stability to Pakistan cricket.