Sanjay Bangar: “I feel, in the batting department, it’s clear that Pakistan is over dependent on their top order like Babar and Rizwan”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former India batsman Sanjay Bangar said Pakistan depend way too much on captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan.
The duo have been the most consistent run-scorers for the men in green, leading to concerns about the middle order in particular.
Since many other former cricketers have voiced their concerns about his problem, Bangar acknowledged that Pakistan must find other batsmen who can stand up and rise to the occasion in the instances where Azam and Rizwan fail to score runs.
“I feel, in the batting department, it’s clear that Pakistan is over dependent on their top order like Babar and Rizwan,” he said on Star Sports show ‘Cricket Live‘ as quoted by NDTV.
Azam and Rizwan are now playing in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where they are captaining the Peshawar Zalmi and Multan Sultans respectively.
Rizwan is currently the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 329 runs in five matches, which includes a century and three fifties, at an average of 109.66 and a strikre-rate of 144.29.
As for Azam, he has made 171 runs in four matches, which includes two half-centuries, at an average of 57 and a strike-rate of 131.53.
The Zalmi’s next game will be against the Lahore Qalandars on February 26.
The Sultans will be in action on the same day as they will face the Karachi Kings.
Peshawar Zalmi Squad for PSL 8: Babar Azam, Sherfane Rutherford, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Haris, Aamir Jamal, Salman Irshad, Tom-Kohler Cadmore, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Rovman Powell, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Danish Aziz, Arshad Iqbal, Saim Ayub, Usman Qadir, Suifyan Muqeem, Haseebullah, Jimmy Neesham, Khurram Shahzad, Haris Sohail, Richard Gleeson (partial replacement for Rovman Powell), Peter Hatzoglou (partial replacement for Mujeeb ur Rahman), Shakib Al Hasan (available for playoffs), Azmatullah Omarzai
Multan Sultans Squad for PSL 8: Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Rilee Rossouw, Shan Masood, Tim David, Abbas Afridi, Ihsanullah, David Miller, Josh Little, Akeal Hosein, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Sameen Gul, Anwar Ali, Mohammad Sarwar, Arafat Minhas, Kieron Pollard, Ammad Butt, Izharulhaq Naveed (partial replacement for David Miller), Mohammad Ilyas (replacement for Shahnawaz Dahani), Carlos Brathwaite (replaced Wayne Parnell)