Wasim Akram is not pleased with the captain Babar Azam sharing pictures and videos from dressing rooms, despite the Pakistan Cricket team’s social media team’s impressive work during the T20 World Cup in providing fans with a taste of what goes on behind the scenes.
Videos of what happens in the dressing room after a game that Pakistan has won or lost are routinely uploaded to the PCB’s YouTube channel and Twitter account.
“If I was Babar, I would get hold of that guy who is making a video. Sometimes, certain things are personal. I am all for social media, players interacting with their fans and everything. But I have not seen any other team do it in this World Cup? So yeah, the urge to get extra numbers (followers, likes), cut it down. This is too much,” Akram said on a private channel.
“There are recordings taking place all the time. Imagine if I am sitting and not knowing that someone is recording – a message that I want to give my team. Just tell him, ‘Guys, relax for two days. Do it some other place but not dressing room.”
After the PCB’s film from the day which followed Pakistan’s victory over Bangladesh in a fictitious quarterfinal, Akram addressed the subject. In the video, Mohammad Haris, a batter, receives Babar’s advice about leaving the game early for his team. Haris was out on the penultimate delivery of the 17th over with Pakistan just seven runs shy of Bangladesh’s 128-run goal while batting on 31 off 18 balls.
“Haris, you have played brilliantly. But these small things will give you confidence, for example, when you finish a game, your level will be different. When the match is in hands, make sure you don’t lose a wicket. Our seniors told me that when you finish a match, your confidence level goes up, wherever you play,” Babar said in the video.
