Pakistan cricket team captain Babar Azam picked South Africa legend AB De Villiers as the best batter he has played against during his career. Babar recently appeared in an interview on De Villiers’ official YouTube channel and when the former Proteas batter asked him to choose, Babar was quick to pick him over any active cricketer. De Villiers was left amused by the answer and although he asked Babar to choose someone other than him, the Pakistan cricketer said that his answer remains AB De Villiers.

Babar also opened up about the toughest bowler he has faced in his career as he took the name of Australian cricket team pacer Pat Cummins. When asked about the most famous person in his phonebook, De Villers joked that Babar cannot take his name again. The Pakistan cricket team batter was left in splits by the comment and his final answer was famous Pakistani singer Atif Aslam.

Earlier, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) refused No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to Shaheen Shah Afridi, Babar Azam, and Mohammad Rizwan for the Global T20 in Canada.

This decision follows shortly after a similar refusal for Naseem Shah‘s participation in The Hundred, where he had a contract with Birmingham Phoenix. In a statement, the PCB clarified that the decision was made after consulting with the players and the selection committee, highlighting the demanding international schedule ahead.

“The PCB had received NOC requests from Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Afridi for the Global T20 event, amongst other players. After taking into consideration Pakistan’s busy and packed cricket calendar in the period from August 2024 to March 2025, which includes nine ICC World Test Championship matches and next year’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and following consultations with the three players as well as the national selection committee, it has been decided to decline their requests,” read a statement released by PCB on Friday night.

“The three are all-format cricketers and their services are expected to be required in the upcoming eight months during which Pakistan will play nine Tests, 14 ODIs, and nine T20Is. As such, and in line with the PCB’s workload management policy, it is in the best interest of Pakistan cricket and the players that they skip the upcoming event in Canada so that they are in their best mental and physical shape for the season, which commences with the two-Test series against Bangladesh.”

(With IANS inputs)