Sohaib Maqsood: “As long as Babar and Rizwan keep opening together, Pakistan will struggle to build a good middle order”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Sohaib Maqsood said Babar Azam and ODI captain Mohammad Rizwan cannot keep opening in T20Is.
Explaining why, Maqsood noted that the men in green need cricketers who can provide a solid foundation in the middle order.
Azam and Rizwan opened the batting for a long time, but both of them were criticised for playing too slow and putting unnecessary pressure on the middle order batsmen.
Many former cricketers have suggested that they demote themselves down the order in order to let more attacking batsmen set a platform to build on.
Maqsood has taken the same stance, insisting that the men in green will benefit if Azam and Rizwan bat in the middle order.
“As long as Babar and Rizwan keep opening together, Pakistan will struggle to build a good middle order,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam and Rizwan were recently involved in the 2025 Champions Trophy, where the former scored 87 runs in two games, which included a top score of 64, at an average of 43.50.
Rizwan, meanwhile, finished with 49 runs in two matches at an average of 24.50.
Pakistan are now touring New Zealand for a limited overs series and find themselves trailing 3-1 in the T20Is going into the 5th T20I on March 26 in Wellington.
After the T20I series, Pakistan and New Zealand and will play three ODIs, with the first match beginning on March 29 in Napier.
Pakistan Squad for T20I Series against New Zealand: Hasan Nawaz, Omair Yousuf, Mohammad Haris, Abdul Samad, Salman Ali Agha (captain), Irfan Khan Niazi, Khushdil Shah, Shadab Khan, Abbas Afridi, Jahandad Khan, Mohammad Ali, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abrar Ahmed, Usman Khan
Pakistan Squad for ODI Series against New Zealand: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Akif Javed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Irfan Khan Niazi, Naseem Shah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Tayyab Tahir
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