Shahid Afridi: “I would like to see Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub open the batting in T20s”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Iconic Pakistan six-hitter Shahid Afridi wants to see Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub opening the batting for the men in green in T20Is.
Currently, Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan open the batting, while limited overs captain Babar Azam floats between the opening role and playing at number three.
However, with Rizwan and Azam being criticised for scoring too slowly, Afridi believes it is time for a change at the top of the order.
“I would like to see Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub open the batting in T20s,” he was quoted as saying by PakPassion.
In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Ayub mustered 23 runs in two matches at an average of 11.50 and a strike-rate of 79.31.
As for Zaman, he finished with 33 runs in four games at an average of 8.25 and a strike-rate of 110.
Ayub, Azam and Rizwan recently featured in Pakistan’s two-match Test series against Bangladesh, which the men in green lost 2-0.
Ayub finished with 135 runs, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 33.75, while Azam made 64 runs at an average of 16.
Rizwan, meanwhile, accumulated 294 runs, which included a career-best 171 not out, at an average of 98.
Pakistan Squad for Bangladesh Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Ali, Muhammad Hurraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Shaheen Shah Afridi
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