Salman Butt: “The T20 format absolutely doesn’t suit Babar Azam, but he has to fulfill the role he plays. He is not an impact player; he has to perform according to his own ability. If you expect someone to become Sanath Jayasuriya, then Babar Azam can’t be that”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt said Babar Azam cannot be like legendary Sri Lanka opening batsman Sanath Jayasuriya as his game is completely different.
He noted that Azam “is not an impact player” and is not suited for T20Is.
The 30-year-old now bats at number three in the shortest format, but for a long period of time, he used to open with limited overs captain Mohammad Rizwan.
Azam was heavily criticised for batting too slow in T20Is, with his critics saying that he put unnecessary pressure on the middle order batsmen.
“The T20 format absolutely doesn’t suit Babar Azam, but he has to fulfill the role he plays. He is not an impact player; he has to perform according to his own ability. If you expect someone to become Sanath Jayasuriya, then Babar Azam can’t be that,” Salman was quoted as saying by TOK Sports on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam was recently involved in Pakistan’s tour of South Africa and began by scoring 31 runs in two T20Is at an average of 15.50.
He then proceeded to make 148 runs in three ODIs, which included two fifties, at an average of 49.33.
The Lahore native continued to impress in the two-Test series, racking up 193 runs, which included three half-centuries, at an average of 48.25.
However, his form dipped in the two-Test series against the West Indies in Multan as he was limited to 45 runs at an average of 11.25.
Azam is now featuring in Pakistan’s ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, and made 10 runs in the opening game against New Zealand.
After the tri-series, he and the rest of the Pakistan team will play in the 2025 Champions Trophy, which will take place 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
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