Babar Azam will continue to open the batting. Pakistan cricket team’s captain Mohammad Rizwan has confirmed Babar and Fakhar Azam as their openers for the ICC Champions Trophy. Tomorrow (February 19), hosts Pakistan will face New Zealand at the National Stadium in Karachi, and Rizwan has confirmed who’ll face the new ball.
Babar Azam ‘satisfied’ with opening
There were reports that Babar Azam wasn’t happy about being promoted from number three to two. Only Virat Kohli averages more than Babar at the spot and has made a name for himself there since 2016. So naturally, he might be as comfortable playing there.
But Rizwan says Babar is okay with the decision. “Babar is satisfied, and he will continue with it,” the wicketkeeper told reporters on the eve of the Pakistan vs. New Zealand match.
Babar Azam’s ODI stats at numbers 2 and 3
| Position | Span | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 2015-2025 | 5 | 88 | 17.60 | 78.57 | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd | 2016-2024 | 104 | 5416 | 60.17 | 88.33 | 19 | 29 |
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Babar Azam opening for the team, says Rizwan
The Pakistani captain expanded on the topic. He explained that Babar had been given the position over Saud Shakeel because of his ability to handle spinners. They needed someone up the order who could tackle both spin and pace. Babar is the right man for that. Furthermore, the team needs him to play there so they can defend their ICC Champions Trophy title.
“If you look at the conditions and see it according to what is best for the team, then it is Babar who should open. We needed someone to tackle the spinners, and due to that, we didn’t keep an opener because Babar can do it, and he is a solid and technical player,” Rizwan added.
Pakistan’s squad for ICC Champions Trophy
Mohammad Rizwan (c & wk), Babar Azam, Fakhar Zaman, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha (vc), Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi
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