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Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi hugs Babar Azam after his match-winning innings seals T20I series victory over South Africa in Lahore.
Babar Azam and Mohsin Naqvi embrace (Picture credit: Screengrab from X)
Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi was seen hugging an emotional Babar Azam after the latter played a match-winning knock in the third and deciding T20I against South Africa in Lahore on Saturday, November 1, after a long run-drought across formats.
Weeks after the Asia Cup controversy, where India didn’t receive the trophy from him, Naqvi was back in the spotlight, this time at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, to congratulate Pakistan on their T20I series victory over South Africa.
During his visit, Naqvi interacted with the cricketers inside the dressing room, where the side lined up to greet him. When it was Babar’s turn, the Pakistan Cricket Board chief shared a warm, lingering hug with Babar, a moment that caught the attention of fans and cameras alike.
Watch the video here:
Pakistan, powered by Babar’s 68 off 46 deliveries, posted 140/6 in 19 overs. South Africa, asked to bat first after losing a third straight toss, once again fell short, managing only 139/9 to concede the series.
An inexperienced Protea team took the opener by 55 runs in Rawalpindi, but Pakistan bounced back with two dominant victories in Lahore to seal the series 2-1.
Babar controlled the chase well after left-handed opener Saim Ayub was out for his fifth duck in his last 10 T20I innings.
The selectors had kept Babar out of the setup for almost a year before recalling him for the South Africa series, as Pakistan continue to search for their ideal batting combination ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Babar was out for duck in the first game, but overtook Rohit Sharma’s record for most runs in T20Is when he made 11* in the second game.
Babar began cautiously against George Linde’s left-arm spin but soon grew in confidence once the pacers came on, capitalising as they struggled to find the right lengths with the wet ball under heavy dew.
November 02, 2025, 17:09 IST
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