Mike Hesson: “There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike-rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan white-ball head coach Mike Hesson said batsman Babar Azam is working on two key areas when it comes to his game in T20Is.
Hesson noted that the 30-year-old is working on his batting against spin bowling and improving his strike-rate as well.
Azam was once a first-choice opener in T20Is, but even though he scored runs regularly, he was always criticised for batting too slow.
Hesson wants to see the Lahore native make a triumphant return to the format, but conceded that he needs to make some improvements first before he can reclaim his spot in the side.
“There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike-rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Azam was not considered for selection for Pakistan’s T20I series against Bangladesh in Lahore, the T20I tour of Bangladesh, and the three-match T20I series against the West Indies.
He did take part in the ODI series against the West Indies and made 56 runs in three games at an average of 18.66.
However, he once again found himself sidelined for the T20I tri-series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Afghanistan in Sharjah, which the men in green won.
As for the 2025 Asia Cup in the UAE, Azam was overlooked once again.
Azam returned to action in Pakistan’s ongoing home series against South Africa.
The series consists of two Tests, three T20Is, and three ODIs.
In the 1st Test, which is currently taking place in Lahore, Azam scored 23 runs in the 1st innings.
Pakistan squad for South Africa Test series: Shan Masood (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Asif Afridi, Babar Azam, Faisal Akram, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi
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