'He is not a player who will hit sixes’ - Virender Sehwag questions Babar Azam's spot in Pakistan’s T20I squad
"Babar Azam is not a player who will hit sixes. He only hits sixes when he is set and spinners are operating," Sehwag said.
Star Pakistan skipper Babar Azam has been suffering through a series of subpar performances for the Men in Green. In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Babar has played four matches where he has scored 122 runs from 4 matches at an average of 40.66, but at a strike rate of 101.66.
Seeing his form, former India cricketer Virender Sehwag has opined that Babar’s place in Pakistan’s T20I squad is not justified and that the skipper should be dropped.
Babar’s captaincy came under the radar after Pakistan failed to make it to the Super Eight stage of the T20 World Cup 2024. Sehwag stated that Babar does not meet the demands of playing in a T20I match and opined that his strike rate is too low.
“Babar Azam is not a player who will hit sixes. He only hits sixes when he is set and spinners are operating. I have never seen him using his feet to fast bowlers or hitting sixes over the covers; it’s not his game as he plays safe cricket by hitting on the ground. So, he consistently scores runs and his strike rate isn’t great,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“But as a leader you have to think whether this game is useful for his team. If not, then demote yourself and send someone who can play big shots in the six overs and get the team 50–60 runs. I may sound harsh, but if the captain changes, Babar doesn’t deserve a place in the T20 team. His performances are not as per the demands of today’s T20 cricket,” Sehwag added.
Recently, Pakistan bowed out of the T20 World Cup 2024 after defeating Ireland in their final Group Stage game of the tournament. The side faced defeats against the USA and the Indian team, which saw them eliminated.
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