Shoaib Malik: “Babar should bat at [number three]! We need someone in the middle overs to rotate strike, you are our best option, with your guidance our middle order will do a lot better”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Veteran Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has appealed to limited overs captain Babar Azam to bat at number three in T20Is.
Azam has been playing as an opener in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup, with the exception of the match against Canada, where he did come in at one down.
Malik noted that the 29-year-old is the perfect number three batsman as he can rotate the strike and bring some stability should an opener fall early.
“Babar should bat at [number three]! We need someone in the middle overs to rotate strike, you are our best option, with your guidance our middle order will do a lot better,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
In the T20 World Cup, Azam has scored 90 runs in three games at an average of 30 and a strike-rate of 104.65.
However, Pakistan will be eliminated in the group stage of the competition after losing to the United States of America and India.
The men in green then beat Canada by seven wickets, but it was not enough and they will now end their campaign with a clash against Ireland in Lauderhill on June 16.
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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