Babar Azam stopped by excise officers in Lahore, asked to change his car’s number plate

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was stopped by excise department officers on Friday, May 19, suspecting him of violating traffic rules. As reported by Cricket Pakistan, the officers noticed that the numbers on his plate were unusually small and it did not comply with the standard size regulations set by the government. Following this, the officers asked Babar to change his car’s number plate.

Later, the officers also verified Babar's documentation, including his vehicle's registration and taxes among many other things. After the examination was over, the officers clicked selfies with Babar as the pictures of the same went viral on every social media platforms.

When it comes to the cricketing side, Babar Azam made his return to Pakistan's squad for the recent white-ball series against New Zealand at home after a small hiatus when he was unavailable for selection for a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan in the UAE. Under his able leadership, the Men in Green defeated the Kiwis in the ODI series by 4-1 as Babar with 276 runs in five matches, finished as the fourth-leading run-scorer of the series.

Opener Fakhar Zaman was sensational throughout, hitting two centuries and scoring 363 runs in five matches. His impactful performance will definitely boost Pakistan’s confidence ahead of the ODI World Cup but the same cannot be said about the middle order.

Mohammed Rizwan looked very average in the recent series at home while Agha Salman doesn’t have enough experience to his name. So, that is one area that the team will definitely try to improve ahead of the global tournament.

When it comes to the bowlers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf were once again the stars of the Pakistan team. Shaheen’s development in batting can also prove to be impactful while with the ball, he has proved to be one of the best in white-ball cricket lately. 

Spinners will, however, have to improve as for Indian conditions, they don’t have quality spinners who can create a significant impact in the tournament. However, with a few months still left for the marquee tournament, Pakistan still have time to unearth a gem.