Colombo Strikers coach Simon Helmot and captain Niroshan Dickwella praise Babar Azam on his support towards the team in Lanka Premier League 2023.
Simon Helmot hails Babar Azam
Colombo Strikers captain Niroshan Dickwella praised and acknowledges Babar Azam for his work ethic and relentless batting during his captain journey.
Helmot revealed the reason behind Babar not captaining the LPL side in 2023 and said that the Pakistani Skipper wanted to play as a batter only.
Pakistan cricketer Babar Azam chose not to take over the captaincy role for Colombo Strikers in the ongoing Lanka Premier League. He wants to focus on the batting only. The statements of captain Niroshan Dickwella and head coach Simon Helmot have created discussions among cricket fans.
Babar Azam has been hailed as one of the greatest batters in recent days. He displayed his class with a century in a recent chase with high pressure and becomes the second player to score at least 10 T20 centuries.
Babar had big options in front of him for choosing between two leagues- the Lanka Premier League and the Global T20 League eventually, he decided to play in the LPL 2023 remembering the World Cup will be played on the Asian conditions.
His father played a pivotal role in convincing him, citing the similarity between Sri Lankan wickets and those expected in the upcoming World Cup in India.
According to Simon Helmet, Babar’s influence encompasses the emotional, mental, and technical aspects of the game.
“He [Babar] looks after people, whether it is emotionally, mentally or technically. He is a great asset to have as a support mechanism on the side,” Helmot told on media.
It is sure that Babar’s influence will be more than his batting progress. His decision to suggest Niroshan Dickwella as the captain had lots of spirit and dedication to the team’s success.
“Babar wanted Dickwella as the captain, and it was a very, very simple process for us after that. He’s so collaborative. He [Babar] looks after people, whether it is emotionally, mentally or technically. He is a great asset to have as a support mechanism on the side,” Helmot told in an interview.
Niroshan Dickwella recognizes the role of Babar Azam as a captain. His guidance and assistance throughout their partnership in the middle have been invaluable.
“I’m enjoying captaincy but there’s a lot of responsibility. I have to put a lot of work into this: bat well, keep wickets, and handle pressure.
“I’m enjoying my responsibility, especially in the middle with Babar. He’s helping me throughout the innings and we always make decisions together.”
“We both think in the same way. At the end of the day, I get ideas from everyone and then I try and make the right decision, according to what I feel. Just keep it simple,” Dickwella said.
