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Former Pakistan captain Babar Azam has thrown his weight behind two of Peshawar Zalmi’s emerging talents, Abdul Samad and Ali Raza, as potential future prospects for the national side.
Speaking on the Zalmi TV podcast, Babar was asked to name young players he believes are capable of graduating to the international stage.
Without hesitation, the Peshawar Zalmi captain highlighted Samad and Raza, calling them “our young blood.”
“Abdul Samad is still new and has a lot of room to grow,” Babar said, adding that the batter needs to fine-tune his game to meet the demands of international cricket. “You have to be ready for that level.”
Babar Azam reserved high praise for teenage pacer Ali Raza, calling him a “special talent” who has what it takes to shine for Pakistan in the near future.
“He [Ali Raza] is a special talent and capable of playing at the international level,” he added.
“But he needs time, and with gradual development, he will be ready for international cricket.”
Samad, 27, made his T20I debut against New Zealand in the five-match series held in April.
While he showed glimpses of promise, he struggled for consistency, scoring 66 runs in five matches with a top score of 44. His series strike rate of 113.79 and average of 16.50 highlight the adjustment phase he’s currently going through.
Meanwhile, in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, Samad has scored 44 runs at a strike rate of 200 in four matches for Peshawar Zalmi.
On the other hand, 17-year-old Ali Raza has emerged as one of the breakout performers of PSL 10.
The young right-arm quick has claimed nine wickets in seven matches, maintaining a healthy average of 24.11 and an economy rate of 8.03, showcasing both wicket-taking ability and control.
Meanwhile, Zalmi are set to resume their PSL 10 campaign later today with a high-voltage clash against Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The league had been briefly suspended last week amid rising cross-border tensions with India, but normal service has now resumed.
READ: PSL 10 set to resume with musical tribute to armed forces
