Babar Azam 'ponders over' switching to another sport

Pakistan captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan are relishing their experience at Harvard University, sharing their moments of enjoyment with their fans following their arrival at the prestigious school.

Harvard Business School's executive education programme on the Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports (BEMS) has welcomed the cricketing pair, who enrolled in the prestigious program last month.

While focusing on their studies, both Babar and Rizwan frequently engage in networking and building connections within their new alma mater, fostering friendships along the way.

This time around, Babar has hinted at the possibility of "joining" another sport while posing with his fellow Harvardians and a teacher at the prestigious school.

"When champions like @francis_ngannou, @USMAN84kg and @jaboowins vouching to play cricket, may be it is time for @iMRizwanPak and I to join another sports. Thoughts?"

The two cricketers were seen clicking a photo with Lineal MMA Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou, Nigerian-American mixed martial artist Kamaru Usman and American football quarterback Jameis Winston hinting that the three athletes were "vouching to play cricket" leaving him and Rizwan to join another sport.

A day earlier, Rizwan's photograph with his teacher went viral on the internet. In the image, the wicketkeeper-batter was gifting a copy of the Holy Quran to her.

His generous gesture won over the hearts of netizens who appreciated Rizwan for "spreading Islam."

Going to Harvard

Babar and Rizwan became the first two cricketers to join the prestigious school. They will participate in the programme from May 31 to June 3. The duo will also engage with various communities in the US after the programme till June 13.

"It is a huge honour to represent Pakistan on such a prestigious global stage. We are going to the BEMS programme at Harvard to learn from the best of the best in the world — both in terms of faculty and programme fellows — and at the same time to share our journey and learnings with everyone. I am certain that this will be an exciting journey, and I look forward to sharing our learning and experiences with the next superstars of the cricket world," Rizwan had said a few days back.

Meanwhile, Babar also echoed similar thoughts.

“I am a lifelong learner and I have had detailed chats about this programme with Prof. Elberse and [Talha] Rehmani. My inspiration for joining this world-class programme at Harvard is to connect, explore, listen, learn, grow, and give back to the community worldwide. I am sure there are scores of things to learn from the amazing athletes and top business executives from the entertainment, media, and sports industries who are coming from corners of the world."

Previously, this course has also been taken by other sportspersons including footballers Kaka, Edwin van der Sar, Gerard Pique, Oliver Kahn, NFL’s Brandon Marshall, NBA’s Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and Major League Baseball’s Alex Rodriguez.