Pakistan’s ace batter Babar Azam has attributed his success to hard work and unwavering self-belief, saying his efforts have been rewarded.

Speaking to the media after the ODI match against Sri Lanka at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday, Azam said, “Despite challenges, I continued to work hard and maintained my confidence. Allah has rewarded me for my efforts.”

He also thanked the fans for their unwavering support, saying, “The exceptional support from the fans across Pakistan gave me the motivation and confidence during difficult times.”

Azam acknowledged that he had struggled to convert good starts into big scores in the past, but was happy to have played a big innings in line with the target.

“Scoring a century after a long time has significantly boosted my confidence,” he said.

The Pakistani batsman thanked his coaches for their support, saying, “The coaches (Shahid Aslam, Mansoor Rana) provided valuable guidance, which was very helpful for me.”

Azam advised young cricketers to focus on hard work and self-belief, saying, “Consistency is key to success in sports. In difficult times, the support of family, friends, coaches, and teammates has been invaluable, and I am grateful to them.”

He reiterated that his focus is solely on cricket, and he prefers to respond to criticism with excellent performances.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankan cricketer Sadeera Samarawickrama praised Babar Azam for his brilliant century in the second ODI, saying it’s a pleasure to play against a world-class player like him.

Speaking after the game, he expressed his admiration for Babar Azam’s batting, saying, “From the past, I’m a really big fan of Babar, so it’s good to play with the opposition team, and he’s a world-class player. We wanted to get him out early, but he got a good 100 and won the game for the team. It’s a brilliant knock.”

Samarawickrama also lauded the security arrangements in Pakistan, saying, “The security arrangements were really good. We are safe here, so it’s all about playing the game safely with a clear mindset. The environment was really nice, and it’s good to play good cricket here.”

Regarding Sri Lanka’s bowling strategy, Samarawickrama explained, “When we were batting, the wicket was helping the spinners. Abrar Ahmed and Muhammad Nawaz were turning the ball, so we knew that even though the dew was there, the spinners could still have a good turn in the wicket. We were trying to get a wicket from Charith Asalanka, and he created chances, but unfortunately, we didn’t grab those catches.”

Samarawickrama also praised the wicket and said, “The wicket was really good to bat on. It was slightly on the slower side. I think it was good for the spinners in the first part of the game.”