Nathan Lyon: “For the T20 finals teams, Australia obviously because I’m quite biased towards them. I think I’m [also] going to go with Pakistan. In those conditions, quality spin bowlers, but also electric batters like Babar Azam”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Australia spinner Nathan Lyon has called Pakistan limited overs captain Babar Azam an electric batsman and backed the men in green to reach the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The men in green made it to the semi-final in the 2021 T20 World Cup and the final of the 2022 T20 World Cup, where they lost to England.
Lyon predicted that Pakistan will meet Australia in the final in this year’s tournament since Mitchell Marsh’s side have a good record in ICC competitions.
“For the T20 finals teams, Australia obviously because I’m quite biased towards them. I think I’m [also] going to go with Pakistan. In those conditions, quality spin bowlers, but also electric batters like Babar Azam,” he told Prime Video Sport Australia as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently captained Pakistan in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand and scored 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
He then proceeded to make 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.
After this, the men in green faced England in a four-match T20I series and the 29-year-old struck 68 runs in two games at an average of 34 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
Pakistan’s first T20 World Cup game will be against the United States of America in Dallas on June 6.
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