Shahid Afridi: “Babar remains the batting line-up’s backbone”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Legendary Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi still believes Babar Azam is the “backbone” of the national team’s batting line-up.
Azam has been nowhere near his best lately, but has been trying to score big runs again.
During Pakistan’s ODI tri-series against New Zealand and South Africa, he played as an opener and scored 62 runs in three matches at an average of 20.66.
The 30-year-old had a lot more success in the opening game of the 2025 Champions Trophy against New Zealand as he made 64 runs off 90 balls, which included six boundaries and a six.
Afridi now wants Azam to keep leading from the front for the remainder of the tournament.
“Babar remains the batting line-up’s backbone,” he said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Despite Azam’s strong batting performance against New Zealand, Pakistan ended up losing the match by 60 runs.
They will now take on India on February 23 in Dubai.
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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