“He is also a very busy player and does not find difficulty in any sort of condition”

Image courtesy of: Zimbio

Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has lauded batsman Babar Azam, branding him as an “asset for Pakistan”.

Azam has fast become a batsman to look out for after his consistent performances in all three formats of the game.

In Pakistan’s Champions Trophy match against South Africa on Wednesday, Azam’s unbeaten knock of 31 proved crucial in helping his side claim a 19-run win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

“He is an asset for Pakistan. He is scoring consistently,” Misbah said. “It is after a long time that Pakistan have found a player at the one-down position who is very strong on the back foot.

“He is also a very busy player and does not find difficulty in any sort of condition. In the match against South Africa he played according to the requirement. He is improving and that is very good for Pakistan.”

Misbah also conceded that he was highly impressed with opening batsman Fakhar Zaman, who made his ODI debut against the Proteas and scored a 23-ball 31.

“The good thing about him is that he plays aggressively while being sensible. This is how he also plays at the domestic level,” the 43-year-old said. “It was his debut. At no point he looked nervous. He showed a great temperament against South Africa and it was marvelous to see him taking on world’s top class bowlers in English conditions.”

Meanwhile, the Mianwali native added that if Pakistan keep playing like they did against South Africa, they can make it through to the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy.

However, in order to qualify for the last four, Pakistan must beat Sri Lanka on Monday.

“After suffering defeat against India in the opener I think they have found a clue how to play,” Misbah said. “They played against South Africa with a changed mindset. If they continue playing in the same fashion in the rest of the tournament, then I believe they can have very good finishing.”