Shoaib Malik: “Our best batsman was Babar Azam, they brought him from opener to number 3 then dropped him and after that brought him to number 4”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik has questioned the handling of Babar Azam’s batting position in T20Is.
Malik said he does not understand why Azam was moved from opening to number three before being dropped and later recalled to bat at number four.
Azam had enjoyed success as an opener as he scored runs consistently. However, his strike-rate remained a recurring concern.
Despite that, Malik believes the constant changes to the 31-year-old’s role may have done more harm than good.
“Our best batsman was Babar Azam, they brought him from opener to number 3 then dropped him and after that brought him to number 4,” he was quoted as saying by Khel Shel.
Azam recently captained the Peshawar Zalmi in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) and played a key role in leading them to the title as he was the top 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.
After that, Azam played in one Test against Bangladesh and amassed 115 runs, which included a top score of 68, at an average of 57.50.
The Lahore-born batsman continued to do well in the three-match ODI series against Australia, accumulating 125 runs, which included a top score of 69, at an average of 41.66.
Now that he is back as Pakistan Test captain, Azam will lead the men in green in their two-Test series against the West Indies, which will take place in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
Pakistan will then travel to England for three Tests 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
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