Pakistan batsman Babar Azam: “When I was dropped, there was pressure on me and I worked hard on my weaknesses”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Pakistan top order batsman Babar Azam has conceded that losing his place in the T20I team brought pressure but also drove him to work on his flaws.
Many attributed Azam’s axing to his slow scoring rate – a concern raised by numerous former cricketers.
The 31-year-old ended up being given another chance when Pakistan took on South Africa in a three-match T20I series and scored 79 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 39.50 and a strike-rate of 117.91.
Pakistan’s next T20I assignment was a tri-series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, during which Azam accumulated 127 runs in five games, which included a top score of 74, at an average of 31.75 and a strike-rate of 112.38.
“When I was dropped, there was pressure on me and I worked hard on my weaknesses,” the Lahore-born batsman was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Azam was not picked for Pakistan’s T20I tour of Sri Lanka, but is currently involved in the Big Bash League (BBL), where he has amassed 202 runs in 11 matches, which includes two fifties, at an average of 22.44 and a strike-rate of 103.06.
Pakistan Squad for Sri Lanka T20I Series: Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmad, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Khawaja Nafay (wicketkeeper), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah, Sahibzada Farhan (wicketkeeper), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shadab Khan, Usman Khan (wicketkeeper), Usman Tariq