Azhar Mahmood: “If you look at Abdullah and Babar, they haven’t played much first-class cricket. When there’s pressure in Test matches, you don’t always know how to handle it. The best option is to go and play domestic cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan red-ball head coach Azhar Mahmood believes batsmen Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique will benefit by playing domestic cricket.
He noted that both of them “haven’t played much first-class cricket” and need to improve their ability to bat in pressure situations.
The best place to do that, in Mahmood’s opinion, is at the domestic level.
“If you look at Abdullah and Babar, they haven’t played much first-class cricket. When there’s pressure in Test matches, you don’t always know how to handle it. The best option is to go and play domestic cricket,” he was quoted as saying by Khel Shel on X, formerly known as Twitter.
During Pakistan’s last Test assignment – a two-match series against South Africa – Azam amassed 131 runs, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.
As for Shafique, he made 106 runs, which included a top score of 57, at an average of 26.50.
After the Test series, Pakistan beat South Africa 2-1 in the T20Is and ODIs.
They then proceeded to crush Sri Lanka 3-0 in an ODI series.
Most recently, the men in green featured in a T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and came out on top after triumphing over Sri Lanka in the final.