Ravi Shastri: “People expect you to deliver. In your first few balls, I don’t even mind if you get out, but you have to show intent”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former India head coach Ravi Shastri wants to see more intent from Pakistan batsman Babar Azam in T20Is.
Shastri noted it is imperative that the 31-year-old plays a more attacking form of cricket in the shortest format, particularly given the “weight of expectation” on him to perform every time he steps out to the crease.
With so much pressure on Azam, the renowned commentator urged him to better anticipate the opposition’s bowling plans and look to find boundaries early in his innings to gain momentum.
“When you’re at that stage of your career, there’s baggage. There’s a weight of expectation. People expect you to deliver. In your first few balls, I don’t even mind if you get out, but you have to show intent. Try to hit a couple of boundaries, get into good positions and anticipate what the bowler is doing. That can change things quickly,” he said on The ICC Review as quoted by Geo Super.
Azam recently led the Peshawar Zalmi to the title in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL), finishing as the highest run-scorer with 588 runs in 11 matches, which included two centuries and three fifties, at an average of 73.50 and a strike-rate of 145.90.
Next came a two-Test series against Bangladesh, but he only featured in one match, where he made 115 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
Azam continued to do well in the three-match ODI series against Australia as he amassed 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Since he recently replaced Shan Masood as Pakistan Test captain, Azam will now lead the team in their two-Test series against the West Indies, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
After that will be three Tests against England from August 19 to September 13.
Pakistan Squad for West Indies Test Series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah
Pakistan Squad for England Test series: Babar Azam (captain), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori (wicketkeeper), Sajid Khan, Salman Ali Agha, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness), Shan Masood and Ubaid Shah