Pakistan set to demote Babar Azam in T20I batting order; Rizwan and Ayub to open against New Zealand - Reports
Following the culmination of his captaincy reign, Babar Azam is set for a new role in the T20I setup under Shaheen Afridi. The ace batter will reportedly bat at No.3 in the shortest format, with youngster Saim Ayub set to partner Mohammad Rizwan at the top of the order in the upcoming series against New Zealand, away from home.
Although the combination of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was fruitful in terms of runs, there was widespread criticism about the pair's approach in the crucial overs of the innings, which put pressure on an already fragile middle order.
According to reports in Pakistan, the duo of Saim Ayub and Mohammad Rizwan were seen primarily practicing against new ball pace bowling in the nets in Auckland, while Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman were focused on the spinners. With the former skipper playing at No.3, the switch will result in Fakhar playing at No.4 for the team.
Newly appointed Pakistan team director Mohammed Hafeez had instructions from PCB president Zaka Ashraf surrounding the opening combination. While the former cricketer was looking to unleash an entirely new opening combination altogether, Mohammad Rizwan convinced him that he was the right person to open after not taking the decision well initially.
The pairing of Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan was a common feature over the course of the last couple of years. The duo opened the innings for Pakistan in the 2021 and 2022 editions of the T20 World Cup as well. They currently hold the record for most runs as a pair in men's T20Is.
Babar Azam's brilliance at No.3 in T20I cricket
Out of 98 innings in his T20I career, Babar has played at No.3 in 19 of those, and scored 690 runs at an average of 49.29 and a strike rate of 123.66.
It will be interesting to see how Babar Azam adapts to the new role and whether the Men in Green will stick with it for the 2024 T20 World Cup as well.
The ace batter is currently struggling for form following a bleak 2023 ODI World Cup campaign as well as a forgettable Test series against Australia recently.
Pakistan's five-match T20I series against New Zealand is scheduled to begin from Friday, January 12, officially beginning Shaheen Afridi's reign as T20I captain. The left-arm seamer was rested for the third Test against Australia in Sydney, keeping the upcoming assignment in mind.
Will Pakistan's reshuffled top-order work in the series against New Zealand? Let us know what you think.