Rana Naved-ul-Hasan: “Babar and Mohammad Rizwan also need to rethink their capabilities and role in modern T20 cricket”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan pace bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan has advised batsmen Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to “rethink their capabilities and role in modern T20 cricket”.
Azam and Rizwan were once Pakistan’s preferred opening pair in the shortest format, but both were dropped from the T20I side, with only Azam managing to earn a recall.
Rizwan, meanwhile, continues to be overlooked by selectors in T20Is.
During the recent Pakistan Super League (PSL), Azam put on a show with the bat as he was the top run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 games for the Peshawar Zalmi, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
His efforts saw him lead the Zalmi to their first title since 2017.
Rizwan captained the Rawalpindiz, but endured a difficult campaign with the bat as he mustered 204 runs in 10 matches at an average of 20.40 and a strike-rate of 116.57.
“Babar and Mohammad Rizwan also need to rethink their capabilities and role in modern T20 cricket,” Naved-ul-Hasan was quoted as saying by Khel Shel.
After PSL 11, Azam and Rizwan were involved in Pakistan’s two-Test series against Bangladesh, with the former only featuring in the 2nd Test in Sylhet, where he made scores of 68 and 47. He missed the 1st Test in Mirpur with a left knee injury.
Rizwan featured in both Test and finished with 181 runs, which included two half-centuries, at an average of 45.25.
Pakistan’s next assignment will be a three-match ODI series against Australia, which will be held in Rawalpindi and Lahore from May 30 to June 4.
Pakistan Squad for Australia ODI Series: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Salman Ali Agha (vice captain), Abdul Samad, Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Maaz Sadaqat, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Naseem Shah, Rohail Nazir (wicketkeeper), Sahibzada Farhan, Shadab Khan, Shamyl Hussain, Sufyan Moqim