Mohammad Hafeez: “I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez admitted batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan need to be concerned about their spots in the national team.
He noted that “they are not delivering results”, which could lead to them getting dropped – just like they have been in T20Is.
Azam and Rizwan are currently playing in the ongoing home series against South Africa.
In the two-Test series, Azam amassed 131 runs, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.
As for Rizwan, he finished with 126 runs, which included a top score of 75, at an average of 31.50.
Three T20Is followed after, but only Azam made the cut in the squad and ended up making 79 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
Even though both Azam and Rizwan were once first-choice players across all three formats, Hafeez feels that they aren’t untouchable anymore and could very well get axed in the near future.
“I think Babar and Rizwan need to be concerned about their positions in the team. They need to prove themselves as good players first; key players come later. Both were good in the past, but now they are not delivering results,” he was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan.
Pakistan and South Africa are now playing a three-match ODI series, where Azam has mustered 18 runs in two games at an average of nine.
Rizwan, meanwhile, has accumulated 59 runs, which includes a top score of 55, at an average of 29.50.
The ODI series is currently level at 1-1 going into the 3rd ODI on November 8 in Faisalabad.
Following this, Pakistan will face Sri Lanka in a three-match ODI series from November 11 to 15, and then participate in a T20I tri-series featuring Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe between November 17 and 29.
Pakistan squad for South Africa ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Faisal Akram, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha
Pakistan squad for Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe T20I Tri-Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Nawaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Salman Mirza, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq
Reserves: Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Sufiyan Muqeem
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