Babar Azam has openly expressed his dissatisfaction with his recent move to the one-down position during Pakistan’s T20I series against New Zealand.
The star batter has proved his mettle as an opening batter for Peshawar Zalmi in the ongoing PSL 9, where he leads the run-scoring charts with 498 runs in nine innings at an impressive average of 62.25.
Following Peshawar Zalmi’s thrilling victory against Karachi Kings, Babar opened up about his role in the national team.
“I wasn’t under any pressure to score runs as an opener [for Zalmi]. It was the Pakistan team’s demand at the time,” Babar candidly remarked.
“If I was asked individually, I wasn’t satisfied with the decision to bat at one down position. However, I did that for Pakistan.”
The decision to break the successful opening partnership between Babar and Mohammad Rizwan was made to accommodate Saim Ayub as an opener in the Pakistan team, a move that both Babar and Rizwan publicly questioned.
Despite the change in batting position, Babar managed to score three consecutive fifties in the first three matches of the series against New Zealand.
Reflecting on the decision, Rizwan also expressed his concerns, stating, “You can say that it [breaking the opening pair] has hurt Pakistan.”
“I can say that Babar Bhai has a big heart. We both agreed that there was no issue. We both told the management that they can try whatever combination they want.”
Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan stand as the most prolific opening pair in T20I history, boasting 2883 runs in 61 innings, a testament to their formidable partnership at the top of the order.
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