Babar Azam: “Abdul Samad is still new and has a lot of room to grow. You have to be ready for that level”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan batsman Babar Azam thinks power-hitter Abdul Samad “has a lot of room to grow” going forward.
Samad has represented Pakistan in five T20Is to date and scored 66 runs at an average of 16.50 and a strike-rate of 113.79.
Knowing the 27-year-old can still get better, Azam wants him to ensure he is ready for the hardships of international cricket when he gets his next opportunity.
“Abdul Samad is still new and has a lot of room to grow. You have to be ready for that level,” he said on the Zalmi TV podcast as quoted by A Sports.
Samad recently represented the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2025 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and made 61 runs in five games at an average of 15.25 and a strike-rate of 190.62.
Following PSL 10, the Faisalabad native was left out of Pakistan’s squad for their three-match T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore.
He also missed out on the tour of Bangladesh, where the men in green lost the T20I series 2-1.
Pakistan are now touring the West Indies for three ODIs and three T20Is.
They lead 1-0 in the T20I series after winning the first match by 14 runs.
The 2nd T20I will be played on August 3 in Lauderhill.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
Pakistan Squad for West Indies ODI Series: Mohammad Rizwan (captain), Salman Ali Agha, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Sufiyan Muqeem
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