Phil Simmons: “Babar and Rizwan have been fantastic as openers”
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West Indies head coach Phil Simmons has praised Pakistan captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan for doing an excellent job as the national team’s openers in T20 Internationals.
Azam recently broke the record for the most runs scored by a batsman in their maiden T20 World Cup appearance.
The 27-year-old amassed 303 runs in six games, which included four fifties, at an average of 60.60 and a strike-rate of 126.25.
Rizwan, meanwhile, scored 281 runs in six matches, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 70.25 and a strike-rate of 127.72.
As for the three-match T20 series against Bangladesh, Azam failed to have much of an impact as he made 27 runs at an average of nine and a strike-rate of 67.50.
Rizwan, however, amassed 90 runs at an average of 30 and a strike-rate of 90.90.
In the two-Test series that followed, Azam bounced back by scoring 99 runs, which included a top score of 76, at an average of 49.50.
Rizwan accumulated 58 runs, which included a top score of 53 not out, at an average of 58.
Most recently, Azam mustered 86 runs, which included a top score of 79, at an average of 28.66 and a strike-rate of 138.70 in the three-match T20 series against the West Indies.
Rizwan, meanwhile, smashed 203 runs in three matches, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 67.66 and a strike-rate of 159.84.
“Babar and Rizwan have been fantastic as openers,” Simmons was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.