Shaheen Shah Afridi: “Both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are world-class players. They know their job well and they have won us so many matches”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan pace spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi has hailed limited overs captain Babar Azam and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan as “world-class players”, adding that they “have won us so many matches”.
Azam and Rizwan are Pakistan’s most relied on run-scorers in all three formats and consistently get the job done.
In the recent five-match T20I series against New Zealand, Azam made 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
Rizwan, meanwhile, finished with 67 runs in three games.
Following this, Pakistan played three T20Is against Ireland and Azam accumulated 132 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 148.31.
As for Rizwan, he struck 132 runs, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 66 and a strike-rate of 150.
“Both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are world-class players. They know their job well and they have won us so many matches,” Afridi was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Pakistan are now taking on England in a four-match T20I series and trail 1-0 after losing the second game by 23 runs.
Afterwards, they will participate in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the West Indies and United States of America from June 1 to 29.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
Pakistan Squad for Ireland and England T20I Series: 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
Pakistan Squad for 2024 T20 World Cup: Babar Azam (capt), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan (wk), Usman Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Amir, Abbas Afridi, Naseem Shah, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed