Fingers have started to rise on the Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, who has been opening the batting for the national side in the shortest format of the game. This has come after they failed to qualify for the ‘super eight’ stage of the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, in the West Indies and the United States of America.
The runners-up of the last season lost their opening encounter of the tournament against the USA at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, where on a good surface their captain struggled with the bat in hand. Babar Azam kept on playing the dots in the game, which not only put pressure on himself but always put the team in an uncomfortable situation.
The opener managed 44 runs in 43 balls, which also included three boundaries and a couple of over-boundaries, which meant there was so much lack of running in between the wickets, given he scored 20 runs in 38 balls outside those big shots.
‘Babar Azam doesn’t get fit in this T20I team’- Virender Sehwag
In their second game against India, at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, Pakistan had an easy target of 120 runs before them, where it was a perfect situation for Babar Azam to craft the innings, as he likes to do, and take his time. But he failed on consecutive occasions.
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The Lahore-born managed to nail a couple of boundaries, but because the pitch was a bit tough, Babar looked to play his favorite shot where he dabbed the ball into the third-man region for a single. But it was a bit on the shorter side from Jasprit Bumrah, as the ball popped up in the air before the slip field grabbed a great catch.
In a discussion about how Babar Azam has been batting in the opening position in T20Is, the former India opener Virender Sehwag questions the intent of the batter, who even against the spinners takes his time, before hitting a six.
‘I think, that’s the way he (Babar Azam) bats. He isn’t a six-hitting player. He only nails the six when he gets set, with the introduction of spin into the attack.’ Virender Sehwag observes at the end of Pakistan’s group stage exit, during a discussion on Cricbuzz. ‘So, I haven’t seen him using his feet to knock the pacers for a six, or hitting those over-boundaries over covers, or even standing from his crease.’
The Delhi-batter, also feels that because the Pakistan captain takes his time in scoring those runs, his average is quite high, but the strike rate is quite on the lower side. But should Babar Azam think of changing the mindset as a T20I opener?
‘He plays down the ground, and safe cricket, and that’s the reason why he has been scoring runs consistently, with not a great strike rate.’ The 45-year-old suggested. ‘But I think, if you are a leader, you need think if you are a leader, is the game right for my team? If not, then bring yourself down, and send someone up, whose role will be only in those six overs.’
Babar Azam had a terrible T20 World Cup 2022 with the bat, where he managed only 124 runs in six innings, at a strike rate of just 93.23, while in this season, he finished with 122 runs in four innings at a strike rate of only 101.66.
Sehwag feels that Babar Azam won’t fit in the T20I team of Pakistan if he keeps on playing with the same mindset.
‘I think Babar (Azam) needs to think. If I use the harsh word, if the captain gets changed, then he doesn’t get fit in this T20I team.’ Virender Sehwag concluded. ‘That’s my harsh word, because his strike rate, performance isn’t like he plays in T20s of the modern generation.’
The ‘super eight’ stage of the tournament will begin on June 19, between USA and South Africa, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.
