Former South African cricketer AB de Villiers recently engaged in a candid conversation with Pakistan's captain Babar Azam, discussing various aspects of his personal and professional life. The interview, uploaded on AB de Villiers' official YouTube channel on Saturday, June 1, a day before the start of the T20 World Cup 2024, quickly garnered significant attention.

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AB de Villiers shuts down a fan for making fun of Babar Azam's English

However, the comment section of the video became a major focal point for an unexpected reason. Amidst the appreciation and praise for the insightful chat, an Indian fan attempted to mock Babar Azam's spoken English. The comment read, "ABD hardly control his laughing babar azam speaking in English," insinuating that de Villiers found Babar's English amusing.

Displaying the sportsmanship and respect he is known for, AB de Villiers promptly shut down the troll with a dignified response. "His English is infinitely better than my Urdu. And his batting is excellent, which is what matters more, I believe," AB de Villiers replied.

Babar Azam, widely regarded as one of the finest batsmen in contemporary cricket, has consistently demonstrated his prowess on the field. He is often compared to the Indian legend Virat Kohli as they have a similar playing style. Babar will lead the Pakistan team in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024. Under his captaincy, Pakistan reached the final of the previous T20 World Cup in 2022 and played the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2021.  

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However, many people in the Indian subcontinent continue to equate the English language with class, reflecting remnants of colonial influence. English, like many other beautiful languages, is merely a medium of communication and nothing more. Everyone has the right to choose their preferred medium of communication. If someone chooses to invest time in learning another language to broaden their reach, it's commendable. Why humiliate them for that?

Babar Azam and his team are currently preparing for the T20 World Cup 2024. Pakistan recently locked horns against defending champions England in a bilateral T20I series, where they failed to live up to the expectations of their fans. Pakistan's performance was so poor that former England captain Michael Vaughan remarked that the English players would have been better prepared for the upcoming matches had they stayed in India for the IPL 2024 playoffs, rather than playing against a weak Pakistan side.

It will be interesting to see if Babar Azam can revitalize his team for the marquee ICC tournament. Pakistan is set to play their opening match of the T20 World Cup 2024 against the United States on June 6, followed by a highly anticipated clash against arch-rivals India in New York on June 9.