Babar Azam’s father, Azam Siddique, recently shared the reasons behind his son’s decision to join the Lanka Premier League (LPL) over the Global T20 Canada (GT20) for the 2023 season. Despite facing hotter conditions and a heavier workload in the LPL, Babar chose to play in the league after his father’s persuasion.
As one of the 13 Pakistani players in the 2023 LPL, Babar is a prominent overseas player representing Colombo Strikers in his first stint in the tournament. While he had the option to play in the financially lucrative GT20 in Canada, Azam Sr. revealed in an Instagram post that Babar had initially been keen on participating in the GT20 due to better pay and cooler weather conditions during the two-week tournament.
The GT20 final is scheduled for August 6, which overlaps with the LPL running from July 30 to August 20, making it impractical for Babar to participate in both. Despite the temperature in Galle and Pallekele, where the LPL is held, ranging from 29°C to 32°C with high humidity of 85 percent, Babar opted for the challenge and experience of playing in the LPL. In contrast, Ontario, where GT20 is being held, has temperatures between 24°C and 26°C during July and August.
