Babar Azam on Virat Kohli: “He is playing a lot of cricket and he knows how to come out of these situations. It takes time, if you back players, it will be really good”

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Pakistan captain Babar Azam said if there’s any player who knows how to break the shackles and come roaring back after a period of bad form, it’s India batsman Virat Kohli.

Kohli has not been at his best with the bat for the past couple of years, which has led to him coming under immense pressure and being criticised regularly.

However, Azam showed his support for the 33-year-old and even backed him to rediscover his form and start scoring runs consistently.

Kohli entertained everyone during the Asia Cup as he walloped 276 runs in five matches, which included a career-best 122 not out, at an average of 92 and a strike-rate of 147.59.

He then made 76 runs in the three-match T20 series against Australia, which included a top score of 63, at an average of 25.33 and a strike-rate of 124.59.

“He is playing a lot of cricket and he knows how to come out of these situations. It takes time, if you back players, it will be really good,” Azam was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.

He is now captaining Pakistan in their seven-match T20 series against England, where he has amassed 281 runs in six matches, which includes a century and a fifty, at an average of 70.25 and a strike-rate of 144.10.

Following this, Pakistan will be on their way to New Zealand to play a T20 tri-series against the Black Caps and Bangladesh. All the matches will take place in Christchurch from October 7 to 14.

Pakistan also announced their side for the 2022 T20 World Cup, which will be played in Australia and begin on October 16.

Pakistan’s Squad for England Series: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Mohammad Hasnain, Haider Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Aamer Jamal, Iftikhar Ahmed, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Haris, Khushdil Shah, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir, Abrar Ahmed

Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Asif Ali, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir

Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani

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