Captain Shaheen Afridi To Demote Babar Azam In T20I: Pakistan is considering a shift in their regular opening pair, with the team management eyeing Muhammad Rizwan to open alongside young Saim Ayub instead of former captain Babar Azam.
As per reports from Auckland, the team management arranged practice sessions where Muhammad Rizwan and Saim Ayub faced new ball bowlers in the nets. Meanwhile, Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman had their practice knocks predominantly against spinners in a separate net session.
Babar Azam and Rizwan formed a successful opening pair for Pakistan in T20s since 2021. However, it seems the new captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, high-performance coach Yasir Arafat, and team director Mohammad Hafeez are eager to experiment with a new approach in the upcoming five-match series against New Zealand, starting on January 12.
Saim Ayub Will Replace Babar Azam At The Top Position
Talking about Saim Ayub, the 21-year-old is known for his aggressive batting style. He has participated in eight T20 internationals last year and recently earned his Test debut. The team management holds the belief that pairing him with Rizwan could offer Pakistan faster starts at the top of the order.
As a result, Babar Azam is positioned to bat at number three, with Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed to follow. Babar reportedly agreed to this change after discussions with Shaheen and Hafeez, acknowledging his altered role now that he is no longer the captain in any format.
Despite these adjustments, Pakistan continues to have a strong T20 track record, reaching the final of the 2022 World T20 Cup and securing positions in the Asia Cup T20 final and World T20 Cup semi-finals in 2021.
Babar Azam set to lose his opening position in T20is.
Saim Ayub likely to open with Rizwan in the upcoming T20is against New Zealand. pic.twitter.com/ffudsvxCHN
— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 10, 2024
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