New Delhi: While introducing Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam to Manchester United’s legendary goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, Shadab Khan referred to him as cricket’s ‘Cristianal Messi’. Pakistan’s white-ball vice-captain actually was indicating at the football greats Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi when he introduced Azam.
As the Pakistan cricket team visited Netherlands’ top-tier football club, Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (AFC Ajax), Shadab replied to Edwin van der Sar by pointing at Babar and stating ‘he’s Cristianal Messi of Cricket’. Even a video of him saying so has gone viral on social media. In the video, Babar Azam and Imam-ul-Haq can also be seen along with Shadab Khan and van der Sar.
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Shadab Khan introducing Babar Azam to @AFCAjax players.pic.twitter.com/4KnJGEzmSv
— Team Babar Azam (@Team_BabarAzam) August 19, 2022
Babar also gave a batting tutorial to the former United and Ajax goalkeeper. On discovering that Pakistan’s wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan was not present there to visit the club, the football legend even joked that he could take up the wicketkeeping duties for the team. It was a friendly meeting to be remembered as Pakistan team manager Mansoor presented a commemorative bat signed by the Pakistan contingent to the CEO of AFC Ajax, which would be kept at the headquarters. Even the captain of the club Dusan Tadic and Babar Azam exchanged signed jerseys and posed together for a picture.
The Pakistan team is currently on a tour to the Netherlands where they are playing a three-match ODI series. Pakistan has already won the series by winning the first two games. The third ODI will be played on August 21 at 2:30 pm IST.
