Shoaib Akhtar on Babar Azam: “He’s our star, I’ll back him up. But the thing is, with the new management, with a new mindset, he has to create a change in his ‘neurological wiring,’ otherwise, the new management might not consider him in T20Is and even ODIs”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary 160 kph Pakistan fast bower Shoaib Akhtar believes batsman Babar Azam may no longer be picked for ODIs and T20Is if he doesn’t change his mindset.
Akhtar noted that Azam has to tweak “his ‘neurological wiring'” as he is not getting the results expected of him.
The 30-year-0ld has seen his runs dry up across all three formats over the last few months, which has adversely impacted the men in green as he is one of their key batsmen.
With a new management having taken over the team and Aaqib Javed having become limited overs head coach and the interim red-ball head coach as well, Akhtar conceded that the clock is ticking for Azam.
“He’s our star, I’ll back him up. But the thing is, with the new management, with a new mindset, he has to create a change in his ‘neurological wiring,’ otherwise, the new management might not consider him in T20Is and even ODIs,” the Rawalpindi Express was quoted as saying by A Sports.
Azam recently featured in Pakistan’s white-ball series against Australia and started off with 80 runs in three ODIs at an average of 80.
He failed to have much of an impact in the three T20Is that followed as he was restricted to 47 runs at an average of 15.66.
The men in green travelled to Zimbabwe after this, but Azam was rested for both the ODI and T20I series.
Currently, Pakistan are in South Africa and Azam returned to action in the three-match T20I series, where he mustered 31 runs in two games at an average of 15.50.
As for the ODI series, he finished with 148 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 49.33.
Pakistan and South Africa will now play two Tests, with the first match beginning on December 26 in Centurion.
Pakistan Squad for South Africa T20I Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Jahandad Khan, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Omair Bin Yousuf, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hasnain, Muhammad Irfan Khan, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir and Usman Khan (wicketkeeper)
Pakistan Squad for South Africa Test Series: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Babar Azam, Haseebullah Khan (wicketkeeper), Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub and Salman Ali Agha
[TS_Poll id=”149″]