Basit Ali: “Pakistan will benefit if Babar will open. I don’t know who has given him [the advice] to bat at No. 3”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali doesn’t know who advised limited overs captain Babar Azam to bat at number three in T20Is.
He noted that the 29-year-old should be opening the batting as he consistently scores runs and will ensure the men in green get off to strong starts.
Azam himself has confirmed that he will be coming in at one down during the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“Pakistan will benefit if Babar will open. I don’t know who has given him [the advice] to bat at No. 3,” Basit said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently captained Pakistan in their five-match T20I series against New Zealand and finished with 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
He was then involved in a three-match T20I series against Ireland and made 132 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 148.31.
Following this, the Lahore native amassed 68 runs in two T20Is against England at an average of 34 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
Pakistan will now take part in the 2024 T20 World Cup, which is being played in the West Indies and United States of America.
The men in green’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
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