New Delhi,Updated: June 3, 2024 13:03 IST
Former West Indies legend Ian Bishop wants Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan to change their batting approach ahead of the T20 World Cup. The Pakistan team fielded their usual opening pair of Rizwan and Babar in the T20I series against England ahead of the high-profile tournament. Previously, the successful opening pair had batted together with great success. However, in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand, young batsman Saim Ayub opened alongside Rizwan.
Speaking on Star Sports, Bishop supported young players like Ayub and Mohammed Harris being given a chance to make it into Pakistan’s first team.
“If you are asking me what I want and what will happen for Pakistan, I would say, I don’t know if it will be soon, but in the future we need and hope for a player like Saim Ayub. Mohammed Harris is not being considered at the moment but he is also a young player. I think they have left T-20 cricket for their countries. But they are still very young and doing well,” Bishop said.
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As an opening batsman, Ayub could score only 229 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of just 126.52. He opened in the second T20I against England but was dismissed after 7 balls for 2. In the fourth T20I, captain Babar came to bat and embellished a 59-run opening stand with Rizwan.
Should Babar and Rizwan open?
Bishop expressed concern about the strike rate of both openers and asked Rizwan Babar to change gears earlier in the innings.
“With the experience of Babar and Rewan, they will probably return there, but again, I think those two guys need to step up another gear in their approach to batting, even on the difficult pitches of the T20 Cricket World Cup,” Bishop added.
Pakistan will face hosts USA in the tournament’s opening match on June 6 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
