World number one ODI batsman, Babar Azam, recently revealed during an interview that he faced the fastest bowler in the world, Shoaib Akhtar, in a net session when he was young and still trying to make a name for himself in the cricketing world.
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Shoaib Akhtar reciprocated Babar’s revelation and said that he enjoyed bowling to Babar and labeled him as a child prodigy. Akhtar took to Instagram to praise Babar’s talent. He said, “Even back then @babarazam was quite a child prodigy. I used to enjoy bowling in nets to him.”
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Babar revealed that he met Shoaib Akhtar during a net session at Mudassar Nazar’s training facility. He said that Shoaib Akhtar used to come to the nets after the regular training sessions had ended and used to bowl alone in the nets. One day Akhtar requested Mudassar Nazar to send one of the batsmen in the nets, and Babar was sent in to face him.
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Babar revealed that he was both excited and nervous at the same time because he was going to face the fastest bowler in the world. He said that Akhtar was unhappy with him because he failed to follow Akhtar’s instructions of blocking the ball, instead he hit multiple drives off his bowling.
Babar has come a long way since then and is regarded as one of the finest batsmen in the world. He is currently ranked number one in ODIs, number three in T20Is, and number six in Test cricket and is leading the Pakistan national team in all three formats.
