Pakistan’s white-ball head coach, Mike Hesson, has confirmed that former skipper Babar Azam will bat at No. 3 within the impending three-match T20I collection in opposition to South Africa, marking his return to the shortest format for the primary time since December 2024.
Talking to the media on the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, on the sidelines of Pakistan’s coaching session, Hesson defined among the choice choices and the way Babar’s comeback happened. With opener Fakhar Zaman given a break from the T20 format to work on his method in home cricket, it opened the door for Babar’s return.
“I actually endorse his choice, with Fakhar Zaman despatched to first-class cricket. We’ve had a dialog with him, and he needs to return again into the One-Day scene, so we’ve given him a little bit of a break from T20Is to get his method again to the place he needs to be, and I’ve been actually supportive of that,” Hesson was quoted as saying by GeoSuper.
Hesson mentioned that Babar’s expertise makes him a super match for the essential No. 3 place within the batting order. He additionally expressed his confidence in Babar doing effectively within the function.
“That created a possibility for an additional top-order participant, and it’s a fantastic alternative to get Babar again into the squad. He’s more likely to bat at three, so it’s a task that I’m very assured he’ll be capable to do effectively in,” Hesson mentioned.
By the way, Babar’s final T20I look was additionally in opposition to South Africa. The 31-year-old has performed 128 T20Is up to now, scoring 4223 runs at a mean of 39.84 and a strike fee of 129.23. He has 36 fifties and three centuries within the format, together with a highest rating of 122 in opposition to the Proteas in 2021 in Centurion. Babar averages 34.38 from 13 innings in opposition to South Africa in T20Is at a strike fee of 141.45. That is his greatest strike fee among the many Check-playing nations he has confronted.
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