Abdullah Shafique: “For example, Babar Azam is our best batter, and the type of form we see him displaying in the nets indicates he is in a good rhythm”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Opener Abdullah Shafique said Babar Azam is Pakistan’s best batsman and has backed the 29-year-old to rediscover his form in all three formats very soon.
Azam was not at his best during the recent three-match Test series against Australia as he was limited to 126 runs at an average of 21.
However, he has shown signs of improvement in the ongoing five-match T20I series against New Zealand, where he has amassed 200 runs in four games, which includes three fifties, at an average of 50 and a strike-rate of 158.73.
Shafique is not surprised by this, acknowledging Azam has been in “good rhythm” while batting in the nets.
“For example, Babar Azam is our best batter, and the type of form we see him displaying in the nets indicates he is in a good rhythm,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan lost their Test series against Australia 3-0 and are now 4-0 down in their T20I series against New Zealand.
The fifth T20I will be played on January 21 in Christchurch.
Pakistan Squad for New Zealand T20I Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan