Ramiz Raja: “Babar Azam’s batting against spin is problematic. He was batting well against pace but whenever spinners come on, he becomes static, whether it is leg-spin or off-spin”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ramiz Raja has urged limited overs captain Babar Azam to work on his weakness against spin.
This issue has been highlighted on numerous occasions and Ramiz pointed out that he doesn’t want to see the 29-year-old continue getting bogged down by it.
“Babar Azam’s batting against spin is problematic. He was batting well against pace but whenever spinners come on, he becomes static, whether it is leg-spin or off-spin,” he said on his YouTube channel as quoted by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently led Pakistan in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand and accumulated 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 31.25 and a strike-rate of 138.88.
He then featured 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.
Afterwards, the Lahore-born batsman made 68 runs in two T20Is against England at an average of 34 and a strike-rate of 141.66.
He then led Pakistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup and scored 122 runs in four matches at an average of 40.66 and a strike-rate of 101.66.
The men in green lost to the United States of America and India before bouncing back to take down Canada and Ireland.
Despite winning their last two group stage games, Pakistan failed to progress to the Super Eights.
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