Mohammad Hafeez: “Fakhar can replace Saim and Babar can bat at number three, with Agha [at] number four”
Image taken by: Bimal Mirwani
Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez believes Fakhar Zaman can replace Saim Ayub as the team’s opener in T20Is.
Ayub has featured in 67 T20Is to date and scored 1,298 runs, which includes six fifties, at an average of 21.27 and a strike-rate of 135.91.
Hafeez feels the 24-year-old hasn’t done enough to keep hold of his spot in the team and pointed out that if Zaman were to replace Ayub, it would allow Babar Azam to bat at number three and T20I captain Salman Ali Agha to occupy the number four spot.
“Fakhar can replace Saim and Babar can bat at number three, with Agha [at] number four,” he was quoted as saying by journalist Farid Khan on X.
Pakistan are now taking on the West Indies in a two-Test series in Trinidad and Tobago, but find themselves trailing 1-0 going into the 2nd Test on August 2.
Following their tour of the West Indies, the men in green will 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 Shafique, 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, 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