Lahore: Police have released the teenager who breached security barriers at the Gaddafi Stadium in an attempt to meet cricketer Babar Azam. The individual was reprimanded before being freed from custody.
The youngster, identified as Ovais, caught the attention on social media when he was seen climbing onto the balcony of the Pakistan dressing room after getting through security barriers Wednesday, when the hosts beat World Champions South Africa in the first Test.
Ovais’s appearance on the balcony left the Pakistan team officials, including head coach Azhar Mahmood surprised. Mahmood then signalled to security personnel to handle the situation.
The youngster was then escorted out by an official as he pleading with him to meet with Babar on his birthday.
He was later taken to the Gulberg police station for questioning but released after a reprimand after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said it didn’t want to file any case against him.
The craze for Babar remains a phenomenon in Pakistan cricket as despite his recent failures, his appearance on the field lead to wild cheering and applause from his fans who keep on chanting his name.
On the first day of the first Test against South Africa at the Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan captain Shan Masood’s dismissal was cheered by the crowd as Babar was the next man into bat.
Later, a negative remark by commentator Ramiz Raja on air about Babar also led to widespread trolling of him on social media by Babar fans.
Despite scoring his last Test century way back in December 2023, Babar clearly remains a fan favourite and top brand for Pakistan cricket.
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