In a light-hearted moment during the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 game, Pakistan's captain, Babar Azam, politely requested former Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi to assist with tying his shoelaces.
However, Babar Azam soon reconsidered, realising that it might not be suitable for a seasoned player of Nabi's stature to perform such a favour.
This amusing exchange took place as Nabi prepared to bowl following a drinks break. Upon noticing his untied shoelaces, Babar turned to Nabi and inquired if he could lend a hand.
Nabi readily agreed and moved forward to offer his assistance. Nevertheless, Babar, a prominent figure in Pakistan's batting lineup, soon recognized Nabi's esteemed status in the cricketing world. Consequently, he decided it would not be appropriate for Nabi to bend down and tie his laces, preventing the Afghan spinner from completing the task.
The video capturing this incident has gained widespread attention on social media.
At the toss, the coin fell in Babar Azam’s favour and Pakistan opted to bat first in the match. They made a sole change to their playing XI as vice-captain Shadab Khan was back in the team in place of sick Mohammad Nawaz. Afghanistan also made a change to their playing XI as Noor Ahmad replaced Fazalhaq Farooqi.
Pakistan finished on 282/7. Skipper Babar Azam made 74 off 92 balls while opener Abdullah Shafique made 58 off 75.
Shadab Khan (40) and Iftikhar Ahmed (40) gave the final touches, leading Pakistan to a great total.
Afghanistan's 18-year-old spinner Noor Ahmad bagged figures of 3/48 in his debut game of the competition.
