Salman Butt: “Babar needs to justify his selection by scoring crucial runs for Pakistan at No. 3”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt acknowledged batsman Babar Azam “needs to justify his selection” in the T20I team after being provided with the opportunity to make a comeback.
Azam returned to the shortest format during Pakistan’s home series against South Africa and scored 79 runs in three T20Is, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
He then proceeded to play in the T20I tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and amassed 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.
Having put up solid numbers in his first two T20I series since coming back, Salman noted Azam will be counted on to continue “scoring crucial runs for Pakistan” at the number three spot.
“Babar needs to justify his selection by scoring crucial runs for Pakistan at No. 3,” he was quoted as saying on Facebook.
Azam is currently featuring in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he has made 129 runs in five games for the Sydney Sixers, which includes two fifties, at an average of 32.25 and a strike-rate of 117.27.
Interestingly, the 31-year-old from Lahore was left out of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka in Dambulla from January 7 to 11.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Salman Mirza, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq