Following the conclusion of his leadership tenure, Babar Azam will take on a new position in the T20I setup, reporting to Shaheen Afridi.
In the shortest format, the ace batsman will allegedly bat at No.3, with youngster Saim Ayub slated to partner
Mohammad Rizwan at the top of the order in the next series against New Zealand away from home.
Although the run-scoring partnership of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan proved profitable,
there was significant criticism of the pair’s approach in the critical overs of the game, which piled pressure on an already frail middle order.
According to sources in Pakistan, Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan were observed mostly
preparing against new ball pace bowling in the nets in Auckland, while Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman concentrated on spinners.
With the previous captain playing at No.3, Fakhar will be playing at No.4 for the squad.
The opening combination was given to newly appointed Pakistan team director Mohammed Hafeez by PCB president Zaka Ashraf.
While the former cricketer was hoping to unleash a completely new opening combination,
Mohammad Rizwan persuaded him that he was the perfect guy to open after he originally misjudged the selection.
Over the last several years, the coupling of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan has become increasingly frequent.
The pair will also begin the innings for Pakistan in the T20 World Cups in 2021 and 2022.
They now hold the record for most runs scored as a duo in men’s Twenty20 Internationals.
The greatness of Babar Azam at No. 3 in T20I cricket
Babar has played at No.3 in 19 of his 98 T20I innings, scoring 690 runs at an average of 49.29 and a strike rate of 123.66.
It would be intriguing to watch how Babar Azam adjusts to his new position and whether the Men in Green will continue to use him for the T20 World Cup in 2024.
The star hitter is now off of form after a disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign and a dreary Test series against Australia.
Pakistan’s five-match Twenty20 International series against New Zealand is set to begin on
Friday, January 12, formally kicking off Shaheen Afridi’s tenure as T20I captain.
With the forthcoming assignment in mind, the left-arm seamer was rested for the third Test against Australia in Sydney.
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