Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin Saturday backed Babar Azam as captain of the Pakistan cricket team but advised him to reconsider his batting position.
Babar is a top-tier player, but Azharuddin claimed that expecting him to play aggressively would be unjust because it is not his natural game when speaking to a gathering of Pakistani journalists in Abu Dhabi.
“Babar Azam has his unique playing style; he doesn’t play cricket with aggression. He has several different shots, and he has been successful with them. He shouldn’t be expected to deviate from his natural manner, according to Azhar.
However, the former Indian captain suggested that Babar thinks about switching to a different batting position.
“We have recently seen that he has struggled against swing. If he is struggling, then he must change his batting position. If I was in the Pakistan team’s dressing room, I would’ve certainly advised him to consider changing his batting position,” the veteran cricketer said, adding that the Pakistan skipper is not a natural opening batter.
Azhar is in the United Arab Emirates taking part as a commentator in the first International League T20 event.
The cricketer endorsed Babar as captain and said that he should be let to command the Pakistani team indefinitely.
“You can’t judge a player as captain that quick. He is new to this job. I am sure he will learn. A player should be judged as a captain after a few years in the role and I believe Babar should be allowed to continue as one,” he said.
In response to a query, Azhar stated that Pakistan has talented bowlers, but advised that bowlers focus on their fitness.
“I frequently witness them suffering injuries. They must put a lot of effort into improving their fitness because recovering from an injury is never simple for any bowler. In any case, Pakistani bowlers are excellent, he remarked.
The former captain said saying he anticipates World Cup 2023, which will be held in India, will be a fantastic competition. However, he went on to say that it is still too early to make any predictions about the event.
Before we start talking about the World Cup, let’s concentrate on the significant amount of cricket that needs to be played before it, Azhar added.
