Misbah-ul-Haq: “I feel that the best opening combination, looking at the team, would be a right-left combination. That would be ideal… I feel that different kinds of players – Saim on one end and Babar or Rizwan on the other end – can complement each other well”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes Saim Ayub should be opening the batting with limited overs captain Babar Azam or Mohammad Rizwan.
Ayub has opened with both players lately and Misbah thinks it is a good choice as “a right-left combination” can frustrate the opposition.
Additionally, he pointed out that Ayub is a very different player than Azam and Rizwan, meaning if the 21-year-old bats with either of the experienced duo, they “can complement each other well”.
“I feel that the best opening combination, looking at the team, would be a right-left combination. That would be ideal… I feel that different kinds of players – Saim on one end and Babar or Rizwan on the other end – can complement each other well,” Misbah said on the Star Sports Press Room as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Ayub, Azam and Rizwan featured in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand and three-match T20I series against Ireland, which ended as a 2-2 draw and 2-1 in favour of Pakistan respectively.
Currently, the men in green are in action in a four-match T20I series against England and find themselves trailing 1-0.
Following this, they will take part 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