File image of Babar Azam© AFP
Former Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s public expression of his unhappiness at being asked to bat at number three in T20I indicates that all is not well in the national team’s dressing room. It all started after the top-order batter was forced to step down as the leader in all three formats by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Babar made his feelings clear at a media interaction during the Pakistan Super League on Tuesday that he was not satisfied with the decision to bat at number three during the New Zealand T20Is in January.
Pakistan lost the series 1-4 after the successful opening pair of Babar and Muhammad Rizwan was split, and the latter opened alongside a young Saim Ayub.
“It was the Pakistan team’s demand at the time. I did that for Pakistan.
“If I was asked individually, I wasn’t satisfied with the decision to bat at one down position. However, I did that for Pakistan,” Babar said.
He also clarified that he didn’t take any pressure opening in the shortest format, either for Pakistan or his PSL franchise Peshawar Zalmi.
Earlier, Rizwan had also expressed his unhappiness at the change in the batting order and said that the management’s decision was not fruitful and hurt the side.
“You can say that it [breaking the opening pair] has hurt Pakistan. I can say that Babar bhai has a big heart.
“We both agreed that there is no issue. We both told the management that they can try whatever combination they want,” Rizwan said after Pakistan lost the fourth T20I against New Zealand.
The former director of the Pakistan team, Muhammad Hafeez, and the new T20I captain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, had initiated the changes in the batting order.
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