Dale Steyn: “Nortje, Buttler, Babar, so many are superb”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Iconic South Africa seamer Dale Steyn said Pakistan captain Babar Azam is a “superb” player.
Steyn noted that he was really impressed with Azam’s performance in the T20 World Cup.
In the tournament, Azam broke the record for the most runs scored by a batsman in their maiden T20 World Cup appearance.
He scored 303 runs in six games, which included four fifties, at an average of 60.60 and a strike-rate of 126.25.
As for the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh, he made 27 runs at an average of nine and a strike-rate of 67.50.
In the two-Test series that followed, the 27-year-old amassed 99 runs, which included a top score of 76, at an average of 49.50.
In addition to Azam, Steyn also praised South Africa fast bowler Anrich Nortje and England wicketkeeper-batsman Jos Buttler.
Nortje took nine wickets in five matches at an average of 11.55 and an economy rate of 5.37.
As for Buttler, he was the fourth-highest run-scorer with 269 runs, which included a century and a fifty, at an average of 89.66 and a strike-rate of 151.12.
Nortjie, Butler, Babar, so many are superb
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) November 9, 2021
“Nortje, Buttler, Babar, so many are superb,” Steyn said on Twitter.
Azam is currently leading Pakistan in the three-match T20 series against the West Indies.
He made a duck in the first T20 International on Monday, which Pakistan won by 63 runs.
Following the T20 series, the two sides will play three ODIs.
Pakistan ODI Squad: Babar Azam (captain) Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Saud Shakeel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shahnawaz Dahani.
Pakistan T20 Squad: Babar Azam (captain) Shadab Khan (vice-captain) Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper) Shahnawaz Dahani, Usman Qadir