Pakistan cricketer Ahmed Shehzad has questioned the elevation of Babar Azam as an opener after his run drought ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Babar, who has yet to score an ODI century since his mammoth 151 against Nepal, is recently going through a rough patch after a string of low scores.
After his promotion as an opener, the right-handed batter returned with scores of 10, 23, and 29 in the recently concluded tri-nation series featuring New Zealand and South Africa.
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Shehzad questioned his role as an opener after poor form.
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“And now he has been promoted from number three to an opener, which should not have been done because he has not scored many runs recently. If his confidence was high, then such an experiment might have worked,” said the top-order batter.
“Recently, Babar’s form is not that good, and yet you are changing his batting position, which, in my opinion, is unjust, said Shehzad.
Ahmed Shehzad suggested that Babar should bat at the No.3 position in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, citing his previous performances in the above mentioned position.
“I personally believe that ODI is the most-suited format for Babar Azam because his game is natural in this format and he does not need to improvise much.”
“So, over the years, it has suited him well, especially at the number three position,” said Shehzad.
He also said the ODI format has undergone a significant overhaul in a decade. Since our team lost wickets at the top, Babar was the mainstay at number three, and he used to stabilize the innings.
“Although ODI cricket has evolved over the years since we lose wickets at the top, Babar, at number three, used to stabilize the innings, which was his role,” said the right-handed batter.
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