Kamran Akmal: “Don’t even think of dropping Babar Azam in white-ball cricket. The Pakistan team is incomplete without Babar in white-ball cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal has urged the national selectors not to even think of dropping Babar Azam in limited overs cricket as the team would be incomplete without him.
Azam’s form has been on a downward spiral for the last few months, which has really hurt the men in green as they rely heavily on him to score runs.
Despite this, Akmal wants Pakistan to persist with the 30-year-old, especially given how much he has done for them over the years.
“Don’t even think of dropping Babar Azam in white-ball cricket. The Pakistan team is incomplete without Babar in white-ball cricket,” he was quoted as saying by respected journalist Saj Sadiq on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During Pakistan’s tour of Australia, Azam amassed 80 runs in three ODIs at an average of 80.
He then proceeded to make 47 runs in three T20Is at an average of 15.66.
After the Australia series, Pakistan travelled to Zimbabwe, but Azam was rested for both the ODI and T20I series.
He returned to action in the ongoing tour of South Africa and started off with 31 runs in two T20Is at an average of 15.50.
The Lahore native showed encouraging signs of returning to form in the ODI series as he finished with 148 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 49.33.
Pakistan and South Africa are now playing a two-Test series, which started on December 26 in Centurion.
In the first innings of the 1st Test, Azam scored four runs before being dismissed by Dane Paterson.
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
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