Tag: Babar Azam

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali urged Babar Azam to learn from the West Indies spinner Gukadesh Motie following his dismal batting performance in the recently concluded two-match Test series between the two nations.

Babar managed just one run off five deliveries in the first innings, and despite a cautious start in the second innings, he failed to make it count, scoring 31 runs off 67 balls leaving his team in jeopardy. Overall, he scored 45 runs across four innings in the series.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali advised Babar to take lessons from Motie, who showcased remarkable batting ability under pressure in the Test series.

Batting at No.09 when his team was under extreme pressure, Motie scored 55 vital runs off 87 balls which gave West Indies a significant edge in the match.

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“Babar Azam needs to learn batting from Motie. He knows when to go forward and when to play back. Even big players should always remain in a learning process. Motie was the best batter in this Test,” said Basit.

Ali also criticised the Pakistan team for losing against what he described as a “weakened” West Indies side.

It is worth mentioning that, West Indies’ second Test win against Pakistan was the first since their seven-wicket triumph under the captaincy of Desmond Haynes in Faisalabad back in 1990.

Pakistan were bundled for a meagre 133 runs while chasing 254 in the first session of the third day. Babar Azam was the top-scorer with his 67-ball 31.

Warrican led the bowling charts with his figures of 5-27, while Kevin Sinclair and Gudakesh Motie returned with three and two wickets respectively.

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DUBAI: India’s Rohit Sharma has been named the captain of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2024 on Saturday, featuring Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam.

Babar is the only Pakistani in the lineup, which features four players from India, with one each from Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Australia, and England.

Rohit Sharma-led India defeated South Africa to clinch their second ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, which resulted in their players dominating the T20I Team of the Year.

Sharma was a force to be reckoned with in the T20 arena, amassing an impressive total of 378 runs across 11 matches, boasting an average of 42.00 and a striking strike rate that soared beyond 160.

Australian opener Travis Head emerged as a key player in their T20I success, racking up 539 runs at an aggressive strike rate approaching 178.47. His ability to adapt was on full display through four half-centuries, with a standout 80 runs against Scotland.

Phil Salt was dynamic in his contributions to England’s campaign in 2024, scoring a remarkable 467 runs in 17 matches at a strike rate of 164.43.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam consistently anchored Pakistan’s batting lineup, starting 2024 with a remarkable run of three consecutive fifties against New Zealand. He scored 738 runs at an average of 33.54, reaffirming his status as one of Pakistan’s best batters.

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Nicholas Pooran shone brightly for the West Indies, accumulating a robust 464 runs in 21 matches. His ability to accelerate during the middle overs and finish innings with fireworks was pivotal for his team.

Sikandar Raza continued to be the cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s batting effort, hitting a sensational 133 not out off just 43 balls in a high-stakes qualifier, setting a record that spoke to his explosive capability.

Hardik Pandya reaffirmed his position as the top all-rounder, contributing significantly with both bat and ball. His tally of 352 runs and 16 wickets in 17 matches showcased his versatility, including a thrilling performance where his match-winning final over in the T20 World Cup clinched victory for his team.

Rashid Khan stood tall as Afghanistan’s bowling spearhead, claiming an eye-catching 31 wickets in 14 matches at an astonishing average of 9.58, which played a crucial role in guiding Afghanistan to their historic first World Cup semifinal.

For Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga excelled, efficiently ranking third among T20I bowlers, and establishing himself as a key player in the team’s bowling lineup.

India welcomed back Jasprit Bumrah with open arms, as his sensational return to T20I cricket saw him take 15 wickets at a remarkable average of 8.26, leading the charge in India’s triumphant title-winning campaign.

Arshdeep Singh emerged as India’s leading bowler, shining brightly with 36 wickets in 18 matches. His fiery performance, marked by an astonishing 4 wickets for just 9 runs against hosts USA in the T20 World Cup, further solidified his reputation as a complete and formidable T20 bowler.

ICC Men’s T20I Team of the Year 2024

Rohit Sharma (India – Captain), Travis Head (Australia), Phil Salt (England), Babar Azam (Pakistan), Nicholas Pooran (West Indies – Wicketkeeper), Sikandar Raza (Zimbabwe), Hardik Pandya (India), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Arshdeep Singh (India)

READ: Salman Butt comments on rumors of Babar Azam playing as opener in Champions Trophy

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt has raised concerns about the rumors suggesting that Babar Azam might open the innings in the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

The announcement of Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming tri-nation series and the Champions Trophy is just around the corner, sparking various rumors in the media.

There are speculations that Babar Azam will take on the role of Pakistan’s opening batter in the absence of Saim Ayub, who suffered an unfortunate ankle injury during the second Test against South Africa.

However, Salman Butt believes such a move would not only be unfair to Babar but could also backfire strategically.

“I hope it’s only a rumor, and the selectors are not thinking this way because it’s unfair and, strategically, it can backfire,” said Butt in a video on his YouTube channel.

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“We used proper openers in the difficult conditions, and now when we are going to play in suitable conditions where batters can score runs, where Pakistan needs a good start from the top and stability in the middle overs.

“Babar Azam can provide that stability [in the middle-order] to last in 50-over cricket.”

He further questioned the selectors’ thought process, highlighting the lack of a solid middle-order backup for Babar.

“Why are you trying to expose Babar early? Do we even have a backup for him in the middle order? Didn’t we see in the South Africa series how crucial Babar and Rizwan’s partnerships in the middle were?” he questioned.

“I think we should go with proper openers, and Babar Azam should play at his usual position. That’s where he’s proven to be most effective.”

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Former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali recently stated that Babar Azam is the most celebrated cricketer in the country since the iconic all-rounder Shahid Afridi, whose charisma and playing style won the hearts of fans worldwide.

Azhar, who is currently serving as a member of Pakistan’s selection committee, acknowledged that while he has often criticized Babar’s captaincy, he firmly believes that there should be no doubt regarding his batting.

“I have criticized Babar Azam a lot for his captaincy,” Azhar Ali said. “I still believe that after captaining for such a long time, he should have built another team during this period. But when it comes to his batting, I say, please stop.”

Azhar Ali defended Babar against those critics, who undermined his batting capabilities due to recent struggles.

He underscored the inevitable highs and lows that all players experience and insisted that Babar’s consistent performances have greatly enhanced Pakistan’s standing on the international cricketing stage.

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“He is the only player from Pakistan who has made a name for the country through his batting,” Azhar said.

“Even if he doesn’t perform well in some tournaments, that doesn’t take away from his achievements.”

Drawing vivid comparisons to Shahid Afridi, Azhar fondly depicted Babar Azam as one of those exceptional conventional batsmen who can truly electrify a crowd.

He reminisced about Afridi’s explosive batting style that endeared him to fans and noted that Babar has similarly won admiration through his graceful and elegant batting.

“Babar is the first player after Shahid bhai who has captured the attention of the world, including in India. A conventional batter getting such applause is rare,” he further added.

READ: Former Pakistan batter suggests resting Babar Azam for second West Indies Test

Former cricketer Basit Ali has advised the Pakistan team management to rest their star batter, Babar Azam, for the second Test against the West Indies to help preserve his confidence.

Babar returned with forgettable scores of 8 and 5 in the first Test against West Indies, which Pakistan won by 127 runs on a spin-friendly pitch at Multan Stadium.

In a video on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali stated that playing on such pitches will diminish Babar’s confidence ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

“Pakistan is damaging Babar’s confidence when he has just regained his rhythm. Since Pakistan won’t qualify for the WTC final, it would be wise to rest Babar,” said Basit.

“If you want to keep him in the Playing XI, prepare better pitches.

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“Babar struggled in the first Test [against West Indies], but he found his form in South Africa [earlier this month], scoring runs in both ODIs and Tests.”

For the unversed, Babar was dropped from the Test team owing to his bad form after the first match of the home series against England last year.

However, he returned to the team during the two-match Test series against South Africa and scored 193 runs at an average of 48.25, including three half-centuries.

Notably, the second Test between Pakistan and West Indies will be played at the same venue from January 25-29.

Pakistan squad for the West Indies Tests

Shan Masood (c), Saud Shakeel (vc), Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Kashif Ali, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Noman Ali, Rohail Nazir (wk), Sajid Khan, and Salman Ali Agha.

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DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan made significant gains, while Saud Shakeel suffered a steep decline in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

Pakistan were whitewashed in the two-match series against South Africa after suffering a ten-wicket defeat in the second Test on Monday.

Saud Shakeel, who scored a gutsy 84 in the second innings of the first Test, failed to make his mark in the recently concluded second match. He bagged a duck in the first innings, followed by 23 runs in the second innings.

Consequently, he dropped five places to 11th spot in the ICC Test Batting Rankings with 724 rating points.

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Meanwhile, Babar Azam, who broke his half-century drought in the opening Test, continued his good form and scored half-centuries in both innings of the Cape Town Test.

He returned with scores of 58 and 81 while opening the innings in place of injured Saim Ayub, which resulted in him making a five-place jump to 12th.

Similarly, Mohammad Rizwan played gutsy knocks of 46 and 41, which helped him gain two places to reach 19th.

Meanwhile, Pakistan skipper Shan Masood made a 12-place jump to 45 with 550 rating points courtesy of his valiant 145-run knock in the second innings.

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DUBAI: Pakistan batters Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan suffered a steep decline, while Saud Shakeel made significant gains in the latest ICC Test Batting Rankings released on Wednesday.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan recently suffered a two-wicket defeat in a thrilling first Test of the two-match series against South Africa.

Saud Shakeel fell early in the first innings, scoring 14 off 6, however, in the second innings he played a gutsy knock of 84 runs against a fiery pace attack of South Africa.

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Consequently, he made a three-place jump in the ICC Test Batting Rankings to claim sixth position with 764 rating points.

Meanwhile, Babar Azam, despite breaking his half-century drought, dropped two places to 17th spot with 669 points.

He got out for four in the first innings but in the second innings, he scored a crucial 50 runs from 85 balls, laced with nine boundaries.

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On the other hand, Mohammad Rizwan continued his below-par run in red-ball cricket, scoring 30 runs across two innings in the first Test against South Africa. As a result, he dropped two places to 21st.

Pakistan’s spinner Noman Ali and pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi, who missed the first Test against South Africa, dropped one spot to ninth and eighteenth place respectively in the ICC Test Bowling Rankings.

Meanwhile, Naseem Shah gained six places to reach the 33rd spot after he picked four wickets across two innings against South Africa.

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DUBAI: Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam has been nominated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the prestigious Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year award on Sunday.

Babar is up against fierce competition from Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh, Australia’s aggressive top-order batter Travis Head and Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza.

“An Indian who starred in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph joins a Zimbabwe ace and two quality batters from Pakistan and Australia in the nominees for the ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year,” the apex cricketing body announced through a press release.

In a year marked by ups and downs, Babar Azam emerged as the standout performer for Pakistan, amassing a total of 738 runs across 24 matches at a commendable average of 33.54.

He scored six half-centuries and was the highest run-scorer for Pakistan in the last 12 months, solidifying his status as the backbone of the national team. Notably, his strike rate saw significant improvement this year, reaching an impressive 133.21.

On the other hand, left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh enjoyed a phenomenal year, standing out with an impressive tally of 36 wickets from 18 matches, boasting a remarkable bowling average of 13.5 and recording the best bowling figures of 4 for just 9 runs.

His most memorable performance unfolded in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa, where his skilful death bowling, complemented by the expertise of fellow pacer Jasprit Bumrah, played a pivotal role in securing victory for India.

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Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s shining star, Sikandar Raza, received his nomination for the prestigious award for the third consecutive year, showcasing his invaluable contributions to the team.

Raza notched up 573 runs in 24 matches, maintaining an average of 28.65, with a highest score of 133 not out, achieved during Zimbabwe’s flawless campaign in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup sub-regional Africa Qualifier.

In addition to his batting prowess, Raza showcased his all-round capabilities by claiming 24 wickets at an average of 22.25, featuring breathtaking bowling figures of 5 for 18.

Australia’s Travis Head also made a significant impact this year, enjoying his first consistent run in the lineup since his T20I debut in 2016.

He showcased his remarkable batting skills by scoring 539 runs in just 15 matches at an impressive average of 38.5, with a highest score of 80.

His run tally for the year stood as the second-best by an Australian batter in a calendar year, achieved at an exhilarating strike rate of 178.47.

During the T20 World Cup, Head proved to be a vital asset, accumulating 255 runs, making him the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, with a striking rate of 158.38 that kept opponents on their toes.

READ: Corbin Bosch becomes first South African to achieve historic Test feat

CENTURIAN: Pakistan batter Babar Azam has joined the Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli in an elusive list during the ongoing Boxing Day Test against South Africa here on Thursday.

Babar scored a meagre four runs, with a boundary, before he fell prey to Dane Paterson. However, during this brief knock, he achieved a historic milestone.

Prior to the match, Babar was just three runs away from the 4000-run milestone, which he successfully achieved with a boundary on the very first ball of his innings.

With this achievement, he became the 12th batter from Pakistan batter to score 4000 runs in Test cricket.

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He also became the third player in cricket history to score 4000 runs across all three formats of the game, joining Indian stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan had a horrible start to their innings as they ended the first session with 88 runs on the board at the loss of four wickets.

Pakistan were asked to bat first and the opening pair stitched a 36-run partnership before South Africa pacers wreaked havoc.

Shan Masood (17) and Saim Ayub (14) fell in quick succession before Babar Azam came out to bat dismissed after adding a mere four runs to the total.

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Saud Shakeel struck three boundaries on his way to 14 off 6 before he was dismissed by debutant Corbin Bosch, leaving Pakistan reeling at 56-4.

Kamran Ghulam (23*) and Mohammad Rizwan (10*) then joined hands to help launch Pakistan’s recovery as he ensured no further damage until Lunch.

Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.

South Africa Playing XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch.

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CENTURIAN: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday, unveiled their Playing XI, including star batter Babar Azam and veteran pacer Mohammad Abbas, for the first Test against South Africa.

The Boxing Day Test will be played at the Supersport Park from 26 December to 30 December.

Top-order batter Abdullah Shafique, who opened the innings alongside Saim Ayub during the Test series against Bangladesh and England, has been dropped owing to his below-par form.

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In Abdullah’s absence, captain Shan Masood will join Saim at the top of the order.

Meanwhile, Babar, who was dropped after the crushing defeat in the first Test of the home series against England, has returned to the line-up.

The rest of the batting order remains the same as that played in the last two Tests against England featuring Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan, Saud Shakeel and Salman Ali Agha.

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Pakistan’s bowling attack will feature the returning Mohammad Abbas, who last represented Pakistan in August 2021.

He will be joined by pacers Naseem Shah and Khurram Shahzad and all-rounder Aamir Jamal to form an all-pace bowling attack.

Pakistan Playing XI: Shan Masood (c), Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Saud Shakeel, Salman Ali Agha, Aamir Jamal, Naseem Shah, Khurram Shahzad and Mohammad Abbas.

South Africa Playing XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Dane Paterson, Corbin Bosch

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