Omair Bin Yousuf: “I hold both players in high regard as both Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam are great players”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Omair Bin Yousuf said he thinks very highly of Pakistan limited overs captain Babar Azam and senior all-rounder Shoaib Malik.
Azam is one of the top batsmen in the world right now as he is a consistent run-scorer in all three formats.
As for Malik, he has regularly performed in domestic T20 tournaments, with many cricketers having called for him to return to the national team. The 42-year-old from Sialkot last played for Pakistan in November 2021.
“I hold both players in high regard as both Shoaib Malik and Babar Azam are great players,” Yousuf, who is one of Pakistan’s up-and-coming batting prospects, told PakPassion.
Azam captained Pakistan in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand in April 2024 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 subsequently involved in a three-match T20I series against Ireland and scored 132 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 44 and a strike-rate of 148.31.
Most recently, the Lahore-born batsman struck 68 runs in two T20Is against England at an average of 34 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
Pakistan are now featuring in the 2024 T20 World Cup and began in bitterly disappointing fashion as they lost to the United States of America.
In that match, Azam struck 44 runs off 43 balls, which included three boundaries and two sixes.
The men in green’s next match will be against India on June 9 in New York.
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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