Matthew Hayden on Babar Azam: “I think he is the premium player”

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Former Australia opening batsman Matthew Hayden said Pakistan captain Babar Azam is the “premium player” in the national team. 

Hayden recently worked with Azam and the rest of the Pakistan side during the T20 World Cup as the team’s batting consultant. 

Azam was in top form in the tournament as he broke the record for the most runs scored by a batsman in their maiden T20 World Cup appearance.

The 27-year-old accumulated 303 runs in six games, which included four fifties, at an average of 60.60 and a strike-rate of 126.25.

“I think he is the premium player,” Hayden was quoted as saying by the Pakistan Cricket Board’s website.

Pakistan are currently touring Bangladesh and hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 series. 

Azam struck 7 and 1 in the first two games.

Pakistan will play one more T20 International on Monday before the two-Test series begins on November 26.

Pakistan’s Squad for Bangladesh T20 Series: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shoaib Malik, Usman Qadir

Pakistan squad for Bangladesh Test series: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abid Ali, Azhar Ali, Bilal Asif, Faheem Ashraf, Fawad Alam, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Nauman Ali, Sajid Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Afridi, Zahid Mahmood

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