Azhar Mahmood: “Babar is our No.1 player. There is no question about that”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan assistant coach Azhar Mahmood said there is no doubt in his mind that Babar Azam is the number one player in the team.
Azam is currently in the midst of a rough patch as he has struggled to score runs consistently for a few months.
Despite this, Mahmood reiterated his support for the 30-year-old and refuses to believe that he is losing his touch.
“Babar is our No.1 player. There is no question about that,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam recently played in Pakistan’s white-ball series against Australia and started off by making 80 runs in three ODIs at an average of 80.
He then proceeded to score 47 runs in three T20Is at an average of 15.66.
Following this, the men in green went to Zimbabwe, but Azam was rested for both the ODI and T20I series.
The Lahore native returned for the recently-concluded tour of South Africa and struck 31 runs in two T20Is at an average of 15.50.
He looked a lot better in the ODIs, amassing 148 runs, which included two fifties, at an average of 49.33.
Azam continued to show encouraging signs in the two-Test series against the Proteas as he accumulated 193 runs, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 48.25.
Next up for Pakistan will be a two-Test series against the West Indies, which will be held in Karachi and Multan from January 16 to 28.
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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