Star players often find themselves at the center of criticism. Similar is the case with Pakistan skipper Babar Azam, who despite being one of the highest run-getters in T20Is, frequently gets called out due to his strike rate concerns.
Babar will undoubtedly going to be perhaps the most important batsman for Pakistan when they take on arch-rivals India at the T20 World Cup 2024 on June 9. Owing to Babar’s significance, former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq has advocated that the modern-day great needs to bat a bit quicker. During a press room organized by the Star Sports, Misbah answered to a question on Babar.
Misbah urges Babar to operate at higher strike rate
Misbah said great players like Babar listen to outside noises and try to outdo their opposition with a determined mindset. While he acknowledged Babar’s great series against Ireland, Misbah appealed that the star Pakistan dasher should look to strike around 200.
“Outside noises affects you somehow. However, great players who are mentally strong takes motivation from that (outside noises). And we saw that in Ireland, where he improved his strike rate. Hopefully, he bats like that. Teams basically requires that sort of an innings from him. If the situation demands anchorship, then he is an anchor.,” said Misbah.
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“Potentially you have to keep yourself at that level that you can hit at those 160-170 or 200 strike rates. It should not be the case if my team requires 200 and I will play at a strike rate of 130 and others will play aggressively. This will be most important thing for Babar.,” Misbah added, who scored 11,132 runs for the Men in Green.
Ireland saw Babar Azam’s aggressive best
Amidst the criticism faced by Babar, the right-hander displayed how lethal he could be. In the third T20I against Ireland, the 29-year-old came up with a superlative knock. He hammered a sensational 75 runs off just 42 deliveries. His innings was a masterclass in clean hitting, with a phenomenal strike rate of 178.57, a significant increase from his career average of less than 130.
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