Mohammad Hafeez: “Babar Azam has a great ability of rotation of strike. Saim and Haris can open and Babar can bat in the middle order”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan team director and interim head coach Mohammad Hafeez wants Peshawar Zalmi captain Babar Azam to move down to number three when batting for the Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise.
Azam currently opens the batting with Saim Ayub, who is one of the rising stars in Pakistan cricket.
However, since the 29-year-old can rotate the strike brilliantly, Hafeez feels it would be better for Azam to bat at number three.
If that were to happen, he would want to see big-hitting batsman Mohammad Haris open with Ayub.
“Babar Azam has a great ability of rotation of strike. Saim and Haris can open and Babar can bat in the middle order,” Hafeez was quoted as saying by journalist Arfa Feroz Zake on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the 2024 PSL, Azam was unstoppable as he was the highest run-scorer with 569 runs in 11 matches, which included a century and five fifties, at an average of 56.90 and a strike-rate of 142.60.
Ayub, meanwhile, amassed 345 runs in 11 games, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 31.36 and a strike-rate of 157.53.
As for Haris, he made 142 runs in 10 matches at an average of 15.77 and a strike-rate of 132.71.
Following PSL 9, Azam captained Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand and made 125 runs in five games, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a three-match T20I series against Ireland from May 10 to 14.
After that, they will play four T20Is against England from May 22 to May 30.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series:Â Babar Azam (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Azam Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan
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