Gundappa Viswanath: “Even though Babar Azam is not among runs, he can make runs comfortably”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former India batsman Gundappa Viswanath is optimistic that Pakistan superstar Babar Azam will return to his best with the bat.
Azam stepped down as Pakistan captain in all three formats following the team’s disappointing campaign in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi was named as his successor in T20Is, while Shan Masood was appointed Test captain.
With Azam free from the pressure of the captaincy, Viswanath expects him to bat with more freedom and start making big scores again.
“Even though Babar Azam is not among runs, he can make runs comfortably,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
In the World Cup, Azam scored 320 runs in nine matches, which included four half-centuries, at an average of 40.
Pakistan began by winning their first two games against the Netherlands and Sri Lanka before stumbling against India, Australia, Afghanistan and South Africa.
The men in green stopped their losing streak with back-to-back wins over Bangladesh and New Zealand, but were ultimately unable to make it to the semi-finals.
In their last group stage game, Pakistan lost to England by 93 runs.
Pakistan Squad for 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup: Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel, Iftikhar Ahmed, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Usama Mir, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Hasan Ali