Srinagar: Former skipper and former captain Babar Azam has opened on his change of batting position for Pakistan in T20 format under coach Mohammad Hafeez and skipper Shaheen Afridi.
Babar Azam has said that he wasnt happy to bat at No.3 for Pakistan but had to do it after Hafeez and Shaheen insisted on it.
This change was made during Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand earlier in the year, where Saim Ayub was tried as an opener alongside Mohammad Rizwan.
“I don’t feel pressured when opening the innings in T20Is. The team requested me to bat at No. three, and although I wasn’t personally happy with the decision, I did it for Pakistan,” Babar Azam said.
Despite the change in his batting position, Babar managed to score three half-centuries (57, 66, and 58 runs) during the series against New Zealand.
However, Pakistan lost 4 out of 5 matches. They managed to salvage some pride by winning the final game by 42 runs.
In the ongoing Pakistan Super League season nine, Babar has returned to his preferred role as an opener for Peshawar Zalmi. He currently leads the tournament’s run-scoring charts with 498 runs in nine games, including a century and five half-centuries.
Babar Azam also praises opening partner Saim Ayub, terming him all-rounder after youngster shined with the ball once again.