Tag: Basit Ali

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has commented on the prospect of star batter Babar Azam playing as an opener alongside Fakhar Zaman during the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Babar, who bats number three for Pakistan, has been asked to fulfil the role of opener in the absence of injured Saim Ayub, who was ruled out of the Champions Trophy due to an ankle injury, sustained during the tour of South Africa.

The PCB management wants Babar to take up the role just like Sachin Tendulkar, who started his career as a middle-order batter in 1989, however, he was later promoted to open the innings and spent most of his career at the top of the order.

Basit Ali, in a video on his official YouTube channel, backed the idea to promote Babar, suggesting that the star batter will not be under pressure to perform as an opener.

“Babar’s place in the team will remain unaffected, irrespective of his performance in the Champions Trophy,” he stated.

“I hope Babar performs. If he performs, he will say I played for Pakistan. If he doesn’t perform, he will say I was forcefully made to open.”

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According to the sources, head coach Aqib Javed, batting coach Shahid Aslam and captain Mohammad Rizwan convinced Babar Azam to bat as an opener for Pakistan.

The team management believes that Babar can play the same role that Sachin played for the Indian cricket team after becoming an opener.

It is noteworthy that Babar has opened the batting for Pakistan in just two ODIs which was way back in 2015.

After that, he has been the mainstay for the national team at the number three position. However, he has been a regular opener for Pakistan in T20Is for more than two years.

Pakistan Squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025

Mohammad Rizwan (wk)(c), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Khushdil Shah, Faheem Ashraf, Saud Shakeel, Naseem Shah, Tayyab Tahir, Salman Ali Agha, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Kamran Ghulam, Muhammad Hasnain, Usman Khan, Haris Rauf.

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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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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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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has urged the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to name former skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed as the national team’s mentor for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Basit Ali, while speaking on his YouTube channel, highlighted the significant value Sarfaraz’s extensive experience, particularly in high-stakes matches against India, would bring to the Pakistani squad for the upcoming tournament.

“Afghanistan appointed Younis Khan as a mentor, which is a great choice. In Pakistan, it seems people, including the board, are asleep. Against India, you need someone who has won you the Champions Trophy before: Sarfaraz Ahmed,” said Basit.

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“In this match, Sarfaraz’s suggestions will be invaluable. He knows how to handle pressure and has already lifted the trophy against them. I wouldn’t recommend anyone else.”

Additionally, he voiced concerns regarding the tournament’s venue arrangements, positing that India may encounter difficulties playing in Dubai, where all of their matches are set to take place.

“Dubai hasn’t historically favored India,” he said. “If their matches were held in Sri Lanka instead of Dubai, I could potentially see them as finalists. But given the challenges they’ve faced in Dubai, it might not be an easy road for them this time.”

It’s worth noting that Sarfaraz Ahmed, who famously guided Pakistan to their first-ever Champions Trophy victory in 2017, is currently taking on the role of mentor for the Dolphins team competing in the Champions Cup.

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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has praised star batter Babar Azam for guiding the team’s younger batters, including Saim Ayub, during the white-ball series against South Africa.

Pakistan suffered a 0-2 defeat in the T20I series, however, they bounced back in style and white-washed South Africa in the ODI series.

Saim played a key role in Pakistan’s victory and was awarded Player of the Series as he amassed 235 runs in three games, including two centuries. He also contributed with the ball, taking two wickets.

Watch Pakistan vs South Africa Live on ARY ZAP

During an appearance on the ARY News show Sports Room, Basit Ali praised Saim and acknowledged Babar’s role as a mentor to the young teammates.

“It is too early for me to say that he [Babar Azam] reminds me of Javed Miandad after seeing his role in the two games. However, his role in those games was crucial in building the confidence of the Pakistan batters,” Basit said.

He praised the shot selection of Pakistan’s batters throughout the ODI series, which demonstrated their confidence in their abilities.

The former batter further expressed hope that if the players continued to perform like this, Pakistan would definitely qualify for the final four in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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“I hope that players remain confident like this. If so, Pakistan will easily qualify for the semi-final for Champions Trophy 2025,” he added.

Meanwhile, he lauded the role of Pakistan’s interim coach Aqib Javed for giving ample chances to the batters including Saim Ayub to showcase their skills.

“He [Aqib Javed] took a decision which translated into the brilliant performance of our player,” he concluded.

READ: Fakhar Zaman breaks silence on his post in support of Babar Azam

Former cricketer Basit Ali discussed India’s participation in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and suggested that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) should adopt a stance similar to that of Sri Lanka during the World Cup 1996.

The ninth edition of the Champions Trophy is scheduled to take place in Pakistan in the February- March window in 2025, however, India’s participation in the tournament is uncertain.

Previously, reports emerged in Indian media, citing a source from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), that the Team India will not be visiting Pakistan for the Champions Trophy citing security concerns.

Additionally, on Sunday, sources confirmed that the International Cricket Council (ICC) informed the PCB that the Indian government is not permitting their cricket team to travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy.

The news of India’s refusal was not well received by many former cricketers in Pakistan, including Basit Ali. In a video on his official YouTube channel, the former batter advised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to learn from the example set by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC).

For the unversed, World Cup 1996 was jointly hosted by Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka, who went on to win the tournament.

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However, the tournament faced a controversy similar to that of Champions Trophy 2025 as Australia and the West Indies refused to travel to Sri Lanka, citing security concerns.

Sri Lanka ensured full-proof security to the teams but Australia and the West Indies remained adamant in their stance.

As a result of a strong stance from both sides, the International Cricket Council (ICC) awarded games against Australia and the West Indies to Sri Lanka on forfeit. Sri Lanka earned valuable four points and qualified for the quarter-finals before playing a game.

Basit Ali urged the PCB to take a similar stance and should not play against India at a neutral venue. He also suggested that in case of ICC shifting the tournament completely, Pakistan should boycott.

“PCB should demand points if India refuses to play in Pakistan in case of a hybrid model, similar to the 1996 World Cup situation,” the former batter stated. “Pakistan should be awarded two points if India doesn’t come here to play.”

“Pakistan, being the host, should play all their matches on home soil [in case of a hybrid model]. And if the host location changes, Pakistan should refuse to participate.”

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Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali did not mince his words while criticizing young spinner Sufiyan Muqeem over sledging Indian batter Abhishek Sharma during the ongoing ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup 2024.

Pakistan Shaheens kicked off their Emerging Asia Cup campaign against India A on Saturday, during which Sufiyan got involved in a heated exchange with Abhishek.

The incident occurred on the first ball of Sufiyan’s spell when he ended Abhishek’s entertaining knock of 35 off 22, courtesy of a brilliant catch by Qasim Akram.

The young left-arm spinner gave a fiery send-off to Abhishek, signalling for silence with a finger on his lips. Abhishek lunged toward the Pakistan A bowler; however, the on-field umpires intervened to calm the situation down.

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Basit Ali took to his official YouTube channel and expressed his displeasure over the actions of the young spinner. The former batter highlighted the importance of maintaining discipline on the field.

“The cricket was top-class, but one thing that really upset me was the incident involving Sufiyan Muqeem and Abhishek Sharma,” said Basit.

“If I were sitting in the dugout or the team manager, I would have told Sufiyan, ‘Son, pick up your things and go back.’ You haven’t even played proper cricket for Pakistan yet. You should not be behaving like this.”

It’s worth noting that Pakistan Shaheens closely lost the match by seven runs as they failed to chase the target of 184. They managed to accumulate 176/7 in the allotted 20 overs.

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Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has criticised Mohammad Haris over his comments about prohibiting discussion about the match against India in the dressing room during the upcoming ACC Men’s T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup.

Haris is currently leading Pakistan Shaheens, who will take on last year’s finalists India ‘A’ in their opening match of the T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup on 19 October.

The Pakistan captain shared that he is keen on ensuring that his players do not succumb to pressure ahead of the match against India. As a result, he has instructed the players not to engage in discussions regarding the blockbuster match.

“Talking about India is banned in the dressing room,” said Haris. “Players feel pressure when thinking about the match against India and we don’t want to put them under pressure.”

However, the statement did not sit well with Basit Ali, who did not mince his words while criticising Haris during a video on his social media account.

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“He has no sense of what to speak and what not to. If somebody thinks the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has given those instructions, then that is wrong,” Basit stated.

It’s worth noting that Pakistan Shaheens’ second outing in the tournament will be against hosts Oman on 21 October, followed by their final group match will be against the UAE on 23 October.

The top two sides from each group will qualify for the semi-finals scheduled to take place on 25 October. The final will take place on Sunday, 27 October.

Pakistan Shaheens’ Squad

Mohammad Haris (c), Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Haseebullah, Mehran Mumtaz, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Imran Jnr, Omair Bin Yousuf, Qasim Akram, Shahnawaz Dahani, Sufiyan Moqim, Yasir Khan and Zaman Khan

Team management: Umar Rasheed (head coach-cum-manager), Imran Farhat (batting coach), Riffatullah Mohmand (fielding coach), Usman Hashmi (analyst) and Syed Mohammad Asad (physiotherapist)

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Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has thrown his weight behind wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Rizwan as the next captain of the national white-ball team.

The current white-ball captain Babar Azam has been under fire following Pakistan’s lacklustre ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in June, where they got knocked out from the group stage.

Many fans and critics have attributed the Green Shirts’ disastrous performance to Babar’s captaincy and called for his removal as captain.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold a high-profile meeting on September 22, dubbed “Connection Camp”, to discuss the future of the national cricket team as well as all-format captaincy.

Basit Ali, in a video on his YouTube channel, gave his opinion on the ongoing speculations about Mohammad Rizwan replacing Babar Azam as the captain.

He highlighted Rizwan’s leadership skills, which are on full display during the ongoing Champions One-Day Cup, where the wicketkeeper is leading Markhors.

“The way [Mohammad] Rizwan led the side, he proved there is no better skipper than him. He has shown it with his captaincy,” said Basit Ali.

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“He read the pitch; it is a big thing. Even Babar can’t do that. I am not even talking about Shan. If you don’t make him captain at this time, then it is a loss for Pakistan. This is the best time you should make Rizwan the captain.”

Prior to Basit, former captain Moin Khan also acknowledged Mohammad Rizwan’s leadership skills but claimed the 32-year-old to be a short-term option.

He instead called for grooming a youngster for the national team’s leadership.

“A single captain can be appointed for all formats of cricket, but it’s crucial for any player to perform across all formats to achieve this,” said Moin.

“Whoever becomes captain should have the responsibility for the long term. There is no doubt about Mohammad Rizwan’s abilities; any criticism against him might be due to his age.

“It’s also important to consider how long he can represent the team if given leadership. Mohammad Rizwan could be a great short-term captain, but you would need to groom a young cricketer to take over in the future. We often appoint captains but fail to prepare a suitable deputy.”

It’s worth noting that Rizwan-led Markhors have won both of their matches in the Champions One-Day Cup and are sitting at the top of the points table.

WATCH: Babar Azam hits Shahnawaz Dahani for five consecutive fours

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) and questioned the legitimacy of ODI Rankings, where star batter Babar Azam is the top-ranked batter.

Babar is leading the batting charts with 824 points, followed by the Indian trio of Rohit Sharma (765), Shubman Gill (763) and Virat Kohli (746).

However, Basit expressed stern concern over the rankings as he thinks the performing ODI batters like Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra are not among the top ten batters.

He posted a video on his YouTube channel sharing his suspicions about the ICC’s intentions to keep Babar on top to hinder his progress.

Furthermore, he raised concerns about the placement of Shubman Gill as the number three ODI batsman.

“When I saw the ICC ranking (ODI batters), Babar Azam was at the top, number two was Rohit Sharma, number three was Shubman Gill, and then there was Virat Kohli at number four,” Basit said.

“I did not find it necessary to read the remaining names because I couldn’t see Travis Head and Rachin Ravindra. I think the ICC wants that Babar doesn’t perform. He would be happy with being the number one-ranked batter in ODIs,” he added.

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“Who gives these rankings? On what basis are Babar Azam and Shubman Gill there?” the former batter questioned.

Basit Ali highlighted the fact that Babar last played an ODI almost a year ago and his performances were not up to the mark in the ODI World Cup 2023.

“Babar’s last ODI was at the last year’s World Cup. We saw the likes of Rachin Ravindra, Quinton de Kock, Travis Head, and Virat Kohli at the World Cup,” he stated.

The former batter also mentioned that Babar’s last century was against Nepal in the Asia Cup before the World Cup, while Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Rizwan scored a hundred each for Pakistan in the mega-event.

“For Pakistan, Mohammad Rizwan and Fakhar Zaman scored a century each. Babar Azam did not score a single hundred. His last hundred came against Nepal in the Asia Cup. What kind of ranking do they give?” he argued.

Basit Ali ended his video with a surprising statement, alleging that the individuals at ICC are working against Babar Azam.

“The people at ICC are Babar Azam’s enemies. If you asked Babar who is the current number one, he would also pick Travis Head or Virat Kohli,” he concluded.

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