Ahead of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy, Pakistan’s head coach Aqib Javed has thrown his weight behind top-order batsman Babar Azam.
This comes despite Babar’s recent poor show in a Tri-Series against New Zealand and South Africa.
In the series, Babar managed figures of 10, 23, and 29 across the three matches.
Javed stressed that the team management continues to have faith in Babar’s capability to provide important performances during powerplay overs when fielding restrictions are most favorable.
In a post-match press conference, Javed dismissed concerns about Babar’s form as insignificant.
He underscored the batsman’s experience and past performances, expressing faith in his ability to regain his rhythm in high-pressure matches.
“Our rationale behind the change was that if you look at the away series against South Africa, Babar had to bat in the first over in all games. We wanted our best batter to make good use of the powerplay,” Aqib said, during the post-match press conference.
Babar’s performance in the recent Tri-Series has been a talking point.
He could only score 62 runs in three matches, with his highest score being 29 against New Zealand in the final on February 14.
Despite these struggles, especially against pace bowling during powerplay overs, Pakistan’s leadership is determined to keep him at the top of the order for the upcoming Champions Trophy.
