For ex-Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, the idea that Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan should be put under scanner for their scoring rate is not wise and that it’s the men in the middle at 3,4, 5, 6 and 7 that need to up their games heading into the T20 World Cup 2022.
A middle-order batting great of his times, Inzamam backed his case in favour of the Babar-Rizwan stand at the top by citing their individual performances in Pakistan’s first two games of the T20I tri-series in New Zealand.
While Rizwan made an unbeaten 78 in his team’s comprehensive win over Bangladesh, Babar came up with a solid-looking 79 not out in the successful run-chase versus New Zealand in Christchurch the next day.
“Agar team se Babar aur Rizwan ko nikal diya jaye toh hamari batting bilkul bhi perform nahi kar rahi (If we remove Babar and Rizwan from the team, our batting isn’t performing),”
said Inzamam on his YouTube channel.
“The boys that have gone to New Zealand need to forget the England series, the Asia Cup…all that is in the past now. Now you are entering in a new tournament, so you need to forget these recent memories. The good as well as the bad ones.”
At a time when Pakistan’s middle-order construction has been in focus of the experts, Inzamam believes the likes of Khushdil Shah, Shan Masood, Shadab Khan, Asif Ali must operate with a strike-rate past 150, which would keep Pakistan in line for their desired scores.
Pakistan will play another round of tri-series fixtures versus Bangladesh and New Zealand ahead of the T20I final on October 14. The team will then move to Brisbane on October 15 before facing England and Afghanistan in their two T20 World Cup warm-up games. The Asian giants will kick off their World Cup campaign by taking on arch-rivals India on October 23.
