The daybreak of a new period in Pakistan’s T20I cricket underneath the management of Shaheen Shah Afridi is probably going to convey a change of position for former captain Babar Azam. Pakistan have reached New Zealand and are slated to play a five-match T20I series in opposition to the Blackcaps beginning January 12 (Friday).
Babar, who has predominantly performed as an opener in T20I cricket for Pakistan is probably going to transfer down to the quantity three slot in the course of the eagerly-anticipated series.
The workforce administration is reportedly going to check out a new opening pair in the course of the course of the series with the emerging star Saim Ayub probably to pair up wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan on the high.
Notably, Ayub opens for his Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchise Peshawar Zalmi and therefore will not be batting out of place with Rizwan, if Pakistan make the change. Ayub opened alongside Babar in the course of the PSL 2023 and aggregated 341 runs in 12 video games.
The 21-year-old racked up his runs within the competitors at an attention-grabbing strike fee of 165.53 with the assistance of 5 half-centuries.Â
On the opposite hand, If the transfer is enforced in the course of the series then it would convey a new problem for Babar, who in a way might be batting out of his most well-liked place. The 29-year-old has performed 77 innings as an opener within the shortest format of the sport for Pakistan and wields a formidable file.
He has amassed 2711 runs at a strike fee of 130.52 and averages a contact underneath 40 (39.86) as an opener in T20Is. His outings as a T20I opener embrace three centuries and 24 fifties. Notably, he holds the file for scoring probably the most variety of runs by a Pakistani opening batter within the format.
The newly-appointed vice-captain of the aspect, Mohammad Rizwan, is second on the record with 2612 runs in 58 innings.
