Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed has slammed Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan’s batting approach. Azam struggled to get going in the recently concluded Asia Cup whereas Mohammad Rizwan, who is currently the No.1 T20I batter, came under the scanner for his batting approach in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka.
Rizwan scored 55 runs off 49 balls when Pakistan was chasing 171 runs. In fact, when Rizwan was dismissed, Pakistan required 61 runs from 23 balls and the match had already slipped from their grasp. Rizwan failed to change gears and it to the team’s downfall.
Both Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are known to take their time in the first six overs. Rizwan has a strike rate of 127.08 in T20Is while Babar Azam has a strike rate of 128.81 in the shortest format of the game.
Mohammad Rizwan was the leading run-getter of the Asia Cup with 281 runs in six matches but he had a strike rate of 117.57, which didn’t help Pakistan, especially in the final.
Javed told reporters: “These two openers are not going to win you tournaments… Take the two openers [Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan], No.1 and No.2 players in the world. But such a player should know what to do. The vice-captain [Rizwan] plays for 15 overs – starts playing when the asking rate is 8 and leaves after taking it to 17! [in the Asia Cup final that Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka].”
Javed added that Fakhar Zaman should open the innings with either Mohammad Rizwan or Babar Azam. The former pacer feels Pakistan is not making the most of Zaman’s skills by making him bat at number three.
“By making Fakhar Zaman bat at No.3, beda-gark kar rahen hai (they are destroying him). Fakhar should open with one of these two (Babar and Rizwan).”
Javed continued: “Shan Masood should bat at No.3. Let Rizwan bat at No. 4 so that once the field is opened up, he can rotate the strike. Then you bring in Tayyab Tahir or Agha Salman. And as for Khushdil, Asif and Iftiqhar – you can still play one of them at No.7 when there is no other option in the entire country… These three aren’t good.”
Pakistan will begin its T20 World Cup campaign against India at the MCG on 23rd October.
