There has been considerable discussion regarding the performance of Pakistan’s star batsman Babar Azam as the Champions Trophy approaches, particularly following a lackluster showing in the recent Tri-Series against New Zealand and South Africa held in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s head coach Aaqib Javed stated that Babar Azam is expected to open in the first over of all ODIs against South Africa, emphasizing that facing the new ball is not unfamiliar for him. The management intends for him to continue this role in the Champions Trophy. Javed expressed the team’s confidence in Babar’s ability to perform well during the powerplay, where he can take advantage of the fielding restrictions.
Babar’s performance has been a subject of discussion ahead of the Champions Trophy, following an unsatisfactory showing in the Tri-Series against New Zealand and South Africa at home.
In the post-match press conference, Javed addressed the growing concerns regarding Babar’s performance, stating that it is not a significant issue for the team. Babar accumulated 62 runs over three matches, averaging 20.66. His best performance was in the final against New Zealand on February 14, where he scored 29 runs as Pakistan lost the championship match.
“Our rationale behind the change was that if you look at the away series against South Africa, Babar Azam had to bat in the first over in all games. Then Saim got injured and he had to open in Tests too. These pitches are not troubling the batters at the start, we wanted our best batter to make good use of the powerplay, that suits us more,” Javed said.
“So, I think, in these conditions, Babar should open and I am hopeful that he will play a big innings in important matches,” Javed added.
One of the major concerns from the tri-series was Babar’s struggle against the pace of Michael Bracewell, Wiaan Mulder and Nathan Smith, none of whom are top-notch pacers. But the management appears to be firm in their decision to make Babar open in the Champions Trophy as well, where they will begin their campaign against New Zealand on February 19 in Karachi.
