Babar Azam: “You’ll see our planning in this series [against England] but yes, we can make one or so changes according to the conditions or what is required. But, mostly I’ll be batting at one down”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan white-ball captain Babar Azam has confirmed that he will mostly be batting at number three in the upcoming 2024 T20 World Cup.
Azam is accustomed to opening the batting in the shortest format, having done it for a couple of years with Mohammad Rizwan.
However, with big-hitter Saim Ayub having become one of the go-to openers in the side, it seems the 29-year-old is ready to make the sacrifice and come in at one down.
“You’ll see our planning in this series [against England] but yes, we can make one or so changes according to the conditions or what is required. But, mostly I’ll be batting at one down,” Azam was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently captained Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand and amassed 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
He then went on to score 132 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 148.31 in the three-match T20I series against Ireland.
Pakistan are now taking on England in a four-match T20I series and find themselves trailing 1-0 as they lost the second game by 23 runs.
Following this, they will be in action in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will take place 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
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