Shoaib Malik: “The person who made the decision to bat Babar Azam at number four should be sacked immediately”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik believes the person who decided Babar Azam should bat at number four in T20Is should be sacked immediately.
Malik feels that the number four spot is not the right position for Azam, especially since he has generally batted at number three and spent a long time opening in the shortest format.
Azam’s strike-rate has long been a major concern in T20Is, and Malik said moving him to number four would only worsen the issue, as he would be required to score at a quicker pace.
“The person who made the decision to bat Babar Azam at number four should be sacked immediately,” he was quoted as saying by Khel Shel.
Azam is currently getting ready to captain Pakistan in their two-Test series against the West Indies, which will be held in Trinidad and Tobago from July 25 to August 6.
The men in green will then face England in a three-Test series 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