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KARACHI: Pakistan’s Head Coach Mike Hesson has opened up on the role of ace batter Babar Azam in the T20I side amid the speculation regarding his wicket-keeping role.
Addressing the media on the sidelines of the Pakistan training camp, Hesson clarified the speculations regarding Babar Azam.
Recent media reports have claimed that Babar Azam has been offered a role as a wicketkeeper in a bid to secure his place in the team.
“Babar Azam is not being considered as a wicketkeeping option. There’s been a lot of chatter around this, but Babar is working to secure his place in the side as an opening batter,” he explained.
“There has been no talk with Babar regarding the wicket-keeping role. If he [Babar] could secure his place in the team, he would play alongside Fakhar Zaman or Saim Ayub,” he added.
The newly appointed coach emphasized the needs of modern-day cricket, stressing the need for an aggressive approach.
“No player has been instructed to play with a strike rate of 150. We [Pakistan team] are lagging behind in T20 cricket due to our batting. The players have to play with intent in modern-day cricket,” he concluded.
It is worth noting that Babar Azam is not part of the T20I squad selected for the upcoming series against Bangladesh. The top-order batter, however, has been called to the training camp alongside Naseem Shah, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi, and Mohammad Wasim Jr.
The right-handed batter last played for Pakistan in the shorter format against South Africa in 2024. Consequently, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan were axed from the T20I side amid concerns regarding the adaptability of modern-day cricket.
Pakistan squad for Bangladesh series:
Salman Ali Agha (captain), Abrar Ahmed, Ahmed Daniyal, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Hassan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Sahibzada Farhan (wk), Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, and Sufyan Moqim
Pakistan-Bangladesh T20I Series Schedule
20 July – First T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
22 July – Second T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
24 July – Third T20I at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, Dhaka (6pm local time)
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