Shahid Afridi: “A number 3 batter is practically an opener. We always regard Babar as the backbone of the Pakistan team. He is a world-class player capable of adjusting to any position”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan six-hitter Shahid Afridi believes batsman Babar Azam is a “world-class player” as he is “capable of adjusting to any position”.
Azam regularly comes in at number three for the men in green, but has opened the batting before, especially in T20I cricket, where he formed a lethal opening partnership with current limited overs captain Mohammad Rizwan.
With the 30-year-old having been Pakistan’s most consistent run-scorer across all three formats for years, Afridi noted he is “the backbone of the Pakistan team”.
“A number 3 batter is practically an opener. We always regard Babar as the backbone of the Pakistan team. He is a world-class player capable of adjusting to any position,” he was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam recently featured in Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and scored 31 runs in two T20Is at an average of 15.50.
He did a lot better in the ODI series, amassing 148 runs in three matches, which included two fifties, at an average of 49.33.
As for the two-Test series, he continued to shine, accumulating 193 runs, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 48.25.
Azam was then involved in Pakistan’s two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan, but failed to have the same kind of impact as he mustered 45 runs at an average of 11.25.
He is now playing in the ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and made 10 runs as an opening batsman in Pakistan’s first game against New Zealand.
Once the tri-series finishes, Azam and the rest of the Pakistan team will take part in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will be held from February 19 to March 9.
Pakistan Squad for 2025 Champions Trophy: Mohammad Rizwan (captain and wicketkeeper), Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah