Babar Azam To Lose Opening Slot In Upcoming T20Is Against New Zealand: Report
New Delhi: Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam will likely lose his opening slot in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand and Saim Ayub will likely to open with regular opener Mohammad Rizwan.
Reports from Auckland suggest a shift in strategy, where Rizwan and Saim were seen facing new ball bowlers in practice, while Babar and Fakhar Zaman focused on spinners in separate nets.
Newly appointed captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and new high-performance coach Yasir Arafat and team director Muhammad Hafeez seem eager to experiment with fresh strategies in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand. However, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were the successful openers for Pakistan since 2021.
It was Rizwan and Babar’s opening pair in T20 World Cup 2021 which helped Pakistan to beat India by 10 wickets in Dubai. That was Pakistan’s maiden victory against India in the history of T20Is.
Now, Babar Azam will likely to play at number three, followed by Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, and Iftikhar Ahmed.
Earlier, wicketkeeper-batter Mohammad Rizwan has been appointed as Pakistan’s vice-captain in T20Is ahead of the five-game tour of New Zealand starting from January 12.
Rizwan will now work in tandem with new captain Shaheen Shah Afridi in the leadership group of the T20I team as Pakistan, the 2009 Men’s T20 World Cup winners, now build up their preparation for the 2024 edition of the tournament, happening in West Indies and USA from June 1-29.
“It is an honour to be named as the vice-captain of Pakistan Men’s T20I side. I am thankful to the PCB for entrusting me with this responsibility. I am looking forward to working closely with the captain, coaching staff, and my teammates to contribute to the team’s success,” said Rizwan in a statement issued by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Rizwan, 31, has featured in 85 T20Is since his debut in the format in 2015, amassing 2,797 runs, including one century and 25 half-centuries. Behind the stumps, Rizwan has taken 41 catches and 11 stumpings.
Pakistan squad: Shaheen Shah Afridi (captain), Mohammad Rizwan (vice-captain and wicket-keeper), Aamir Jamal, Abbas Afridi, Azam Khan (wicket-keeper), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah (wicket-keeper), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan