Cheteshwar Pujara: “It looks like there was mental pressure on him. In ODI cricket, you need to bat with freedom. He is a natural stroke player. He needs to bat with more freedom”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has advised Pakistan batsman Babar Azam “to bat with more freedom”.
He noted that Azam looks as if he is under immense “mental pressure”, which could be a reason why he is struggling to score runs consistently.
Azam was recently in action in Pakistan’s home series against South Africa, and started off by making 131 runs in two Tests, which included a top score of 50, at an average of 32.75.
In the three-match T20I series that followed, he finished with 79 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
As for the three ODIs, he mustered 45 runs at an average of 15.
Azam fared a lot better in the three ODIs Pakistan played against Sri Lanka, amassing 165 runs, which included his first international century in more than two years, at an average of 82.50.
The Lahore native then proceeded to feature in a T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and accumulated 127 runs in five matches, which included a top score of 74, at an average of 31.75 and a strike-rate of 112.38.
“It looks like there was mental pressure on him. In ODI cricket, you need to bat with freedom. He is a natural stroke player. He needs to bat with more freedom,” Pujara said on Sports Central as quoted by NDTV.
Azam is now involved in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he has made 69 runs in three games for the Sydney Sixers, which includes a top score of 58, at an average of 23 and a strike-rate of 121.05.
[TS_Poll id=”149″]