Shahid Afridi: “The actual thing is the beginning. Babar and Rizwan should score [a] chunk of [the] runs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Renowned six-hitter Shahid Afridi said Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan must score “[a] chunk of [the] runs” for Pakistan in T20 Internationals.
Since the duo open the batting, Afridi noted the responsibility is on them to set a solid platform for the rest of the batsmen to build on.
Azam, who captains the men in green, and Rizwan, who is the go-to wicketkeeper, have been in stellar form lately.
However, they have not been supported by the middle order batsmen, who have failed time and time again to produce useful contributions. The only exception as of late has been spin-bowling all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz.
“The actual thing is the beginning. Babar and Rizwan should score [a] chunk of [the] runs,” Afridi was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
In the T20 tri-series against New Zealand and Bangladesh, Azam scored 192 runs in five matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 48 and a strike-rate of 123.87.
As for Rizwan, he made 201 runs in five games, which also included two half-centuries, at an average of 50.25 and a strike-rate of 122.56.
Pakistan are now featuring in the 2022 T20 World Cup and kickstarted their campaign with a tense four-wicket defeat to India, which occurred off the final ball of the game.
Azam and Rizwan were dismissed by Arshdeep Singh for a golden duck and four runs respectively.
The men in green will be looking to bounce back when they take on Zimbabwe on Thursday in Perth.
Pakistan’s 2022 T20 World Cup squad: Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shan Masood
Reserves: Mohammad Haris, Shahnawaz Dahani and Usman Qadir