Time to get behind Babar Azam at No.3 in T20I

[Rana]

When Babar got injured pre-NZ tour 2019, and Fakhar had to stay back in Pakistan due to Covid, it gave Misbah ul Haq the perfect opportunity to do experiments that suited a strategy, a baffling strategy in white ball/T20 cricket. He needed to make an “all eggs in one basket” strategy to work for him, I’m not going to go into the detail of it because I’m tired of trying to tell the truth for people not to see it.

Babar returned into the side and knowing that he can get away with whatever he wants, misused his power and opened with Rizwan. It was wrong, it’s not cricket.

For 2-3 years I have been screaming that this is wrong, and Babar’s right position is number 3. That’s where Pakistan needs him, that’s where he should fight for his country. I always saw him as a Kohli, Williamson, Smith, Root type player and that’s why I have been continuously beaten the same drum again and again, I’ve made plenty of enemies in my strive for this cause. Plenty of times I’ve ruined the atmosphere, vibe for those people who either knew that I was right but had to defend Babar’s selfish tactics, or those who innocently didn’t have the understanding of the game and loved Babar dearly.

To those I have made life a living hell, I have no regrets in continuously speaking the truth for the cause of Pakistan cricket’s success. None whatsoever. However, I am finally glad to see some light at the end of the tunnel with Babar finally, or reluctantly being asked to bat in this position in T20’s. After so long, he has played in this position and has looked very good for us.

I’m reading the same criticism that he copped as an opener in this position. With all my venom, with all my vengeance and hate that I have within for selfishness, I implore you all that this criticism isn’t warranted for Babar at number 3 and the way he has played in these two games. Yes he’s a limited player, but for once the guy is really playing for his team. I can clearly see it, I am not shy of saying that he is selfish so I would call it out if that’s the case.

Pakistan finally have a proper batsman at number 3, the most difficult and important position in all formats. Trust the guy, back him. He is finally batting in his right position in this format, and you have to rally behind him. I implore you all.

 

[Croma]

Babar isnt going anywhere. He is un-droppable. There is no need to rally behind him. He is scoring his 50's in every game so will be a permanent member of PCT.

 

[Energy]

Babar will bat at three going forward. There's nothing to get behind on. He will give you 40-50 runs on average at 130 SR.

The issue with Babar is that he absolutely cannot finish and 12rpo is out of his comfort zone chasing. Therefore, Babar's runs have no impact on the match unless 2-3 other batters get 80-100 runs at close to 200 SR. It's not a huge ask but Pakistan have made it look like its near impossible.

Every team has 2-3 batters to play at 200 SR but also give you 25 runs on average.

Iftikhar, Azam are two absolute tools masquerading as batters and can't even support with cameo performances. They can't be counted for 10 runs as well. Hence Babar is further in the limelight for negatives.

 

[Slim]

Its clear as daylight that Babar Azam can never us win us matches singlehandedly. Its beyond his reach. But that doesnt mean he should be dropped. Number 3 is fine if he can play with 140-150 strike rate. Remember he is only playing fast now because he is under pressure due to the new management. Otherwise he would have happily crawled to a useless match losing 50.

 

[Buffet]

Its clear as daylight that Babar Azam can never us win us matches singlehandedly. Its beyond his reach. But that doesnt mean he should be dropped. Number 3 is fine if he can play with 140-150 strike rate. Remember he is only playing fast now because he is under pressure due to the new management. Otherwise he would have happily crawled to a useless match losing 50.

He is a good support batsman as long as some one else plays really well when chasing 200.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

In fact I will play Babar Azam at the #4 position and drop Azam Khan to make space for Sahibzada Farhan and will put him at the #1 position.

 

[heddie19]

In fact I will play Babar Azam at the #4 position and drop Azam Khan to make space for Sahibzada Farhan and will put him at the #1 position.

Why not play him at #6? then expecting him to finish the games will be justifiable too.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Why not play him at #6? then expecting him to finish the games will be justifiable too.

depends if he gets agree to play on such number

 

[hafizexpress]

He's always been the deserving no.3. If Rizwan fails to show this series that he can give blistering starts at the top, then as much as I love him, his being replaced with a more explosive opener will make the team more dynamic. A couple of changes then in the middle order will make the batting lineup great.

Farhan
Ayub
Babar
Fakhar
Shadab
Haris
Jamal

Shadab will be back and hasn't been as bad in t20s as he has in ODIs so if he's there, he should be there at 5 unless it's nearing the end of the innings. M Haris and Jamal need to be gun finishers at the death. This team should be tried in the next series with Shadab and Haris back. I'm done with no show Ifti and Azam is clearly incapable at the international level.

 

[sweep_shot]

I think Babar should bat at #3 or #4. Probably #3.

That position suits him.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

He is performing better at number 3 with less pressure of utilizing the power play.

Now it's time to try Rizwan at the #4 position and let Fakhar open with Saim.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Babar is the only world class batsman they have , drop him and then this team would crawl go past 100 in T20Is and 200 in ODIs

Will have a good performance with the bat once in 5 matches that is when Fakhar scores...

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Again and again the fans and the pak team mgmt are blaming Babar for his SR and so on... there are mere passengers in the team with no real performance like Chachu , Haris rauf, Azam Khan , Nawaz, Usama Mir etc...

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Babar is doing even better at the No.3 position Rizwan must also try at No.4. He might do better down the order because the pressure of utilizing the powerplay is putting him under pressure.

 

[Rana]

Babar is doing even better at the No.3 position Rizwan must also try at No.4. He might do better down the order because the pressure of utilizing the powerplay is putting him under pressure.

So you reluctantly admit Rizwan wasn’t intending to utilise the powerplay before PCB stepped in with Hafeez?

 

[DeadlyVenom]

He can do better. Still too many deft cuts and glances.

On these football pitches he should be aiming to clear the boundary more and not run the ball into gaps for cute twos.

We need someone to work with him and help him take his game to the next level...the Kohli level or even Makram level. I think he has it in him.

But for the moment in his head I feel he is content with being classical.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

So you reluctantly admit Rizwan wasn’t intending to utilise the powerplay before PCB stepped in with Hafeez?

well i always admire him as a bastman but not satisfied how he bats in powerplay, i always think that he must play down the order might be at No.4 position where i think he can do even better.

He is a very good player but his utilization is horribly wrong.

 

[Asad T]

I agree, but with a caveat. If Rizwan and Ayub are opening, and Ayub gets out, I would prefer Fakhar at #3. Otherwise we will have 2 anchor type players again.
If Rizwan gets out first (or if Ayub - Fakhar open), Babar at 3 is ok with me, and I would be wholeheartedly behind that.

 

[jackofallrounder]

Babar at 3 and Rizwan at 4. That’s the only way to balance the line up. Saim/Harris with Fakhar should be opening in T20.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I agree, but with a caveat. If Rizwan and Ayub are opening, and Ayub gets out, I would prefer Fakhar at #3. Otherwise we will have 2 anchor type players again.
If Rizwan gets out first (or if Ayub - Fakhar open), Babar at 3 is ok with me, and I would be wholeheartedly behind that.

Yes, that is something the management can think off. Rotate the players according to the situation. We cannot have 2 players on the crease at the same time who need some time to get going and there is not much time in T20s. Babar is going excellent at number 3 and will keep his spot there now. the only issue now is the opening where rizwan is failing at the moment.

 

[MenInG]

Babar doing well at number 3 it seems - like the look of him.

 

[Abdullah]

Babar at 3 and Rizwan at 4. That’s the only way to balance the line up. Saim/Harris with Fakhar should be opening in T20.

Wrong.

Saim
Babar
Rizwan
Fakhar

I want Babar in the powerplay as his all round game is better.
He is weaker against spin compared to fakhar and Rizwan, so they should bat at 3 and 4
Babar will get stuck with spin whereas Fakhar and Rizwan can sweep very well.
I would want to protect Fakhar Vs the new ball and Rizwan/Fakhar offside game isn't as good as Babars

 

[Rana]

Babar doing well at number 3 it seems - like the look of him.

It was plain and obvious that this is the position he belongs in.

Playing him as an opener is like playing Martin Odegaard as a Central striker.

 

[FearlessRoar]

And Babar is proving it was the right decision to take the No. 3 position.

Now, I want the management to make the wise move of promoting Fakhar to the top and bringing Rizwan to No. 4.

 

[GreenKhan]

Wrong.

Saim
Babar
Rizwan
Fakhar

I want Babar in the powerplay as his all round game is better.
He is weaker against spin compared to fakhar and Rizwan, so they should bat at 3 and 4
Babar will get stuck with spin whereas Fakhar and Rizwan can sweep very well.
I would want to protect Fakhar Vs the new ball and Rizwan/Fakhar offside game isn't as good as Babars

Protecting fakhar against the new ball don’t make sense.

Have you seen his one day stats . Is one of the best if not the best one day opener Pakistan have ever had , and on par with the other one day opening bats whether it’s Warner , Rohit , de Kock or whoever else .

 

[pakistani pride]

He will score his useless 50s and wont chase when a situation is like 40 plus of the last 3 overs.

 

[Abdullah]

Protecting fakhar against the new ball don’t make sense.

Have you seen his one day stats . Is one of the best if not the best one day opener Pakistan have ever had , and on par with the other one day opening bats whether it’s Warner , Rohit , de Kock or whoever else .

Yes, but he can kill spinners unlike anybody else and is a thousand times better at it than Babar, so it makes sense to have Babar open and Fakhar coming in when the spin is on

 

[Abdullah]

Yes, but he can kill spinners unlike anybody else and is a thousand times better at it than Babar, so it makes sense to have Babar open and Fakhar coming in when the spin is on

Babar is a better player against the new ball than fakhar. If fakhar gets out early, thats too big a blow

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Let's see at which number Babar plays for Peshawar Zalmi in PSL 9.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

Pakistan’s star batter and captain Babar Azam is nearing another milestone as his side gears up for the T20I series against New Zealand this month.

Azam currently has 3,698 runs in T20I cricket and is only behind Virat Kohli (4,037) and Rohit Sharma (3,974) on the list of most runs in the shortest format of the game.

The prolific Pakistan batter only needs 339 runs to equal Kohli’s tally of runs in T20I cricket.

Most runs in T20I cricket​

Name	Innings	Runs
Virat Kohli	109	4037
Rohit Sharma	143	3974
Babar Azam	103	3698
Martin Guptill	118	3531
Paul Stirling	136	3491

Pakistan will face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series with the first game set to take place in Rawalpindi on April 18.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

He is one of the best Number 3 batter in the world right now...

 

[Rana]

He is one of the best Number 3 batter in the world right now...

And he should bat at that position

Not clown around as an anchor opener or whatever he is trying to portray himself as.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

And he should bat at that position

Not clown around as an anchor opener or whatever he is trying to portray himself as.

This NZ series will make things clear whether he is going to play at number 3 position in this World Cup or will stick with opening which I believe would be a disaster for the Pakistan team.

 

[Sunny_majoka]

This NZ series will make things clear whether he is going to play at number 3 position in this World Cup or will stick with opening which I believe would be a disaster for the Pakistan team.

The real disaster is if Rizwan and Babar both open the inning.

 

[Rana]

Why is this clown opening for Pakistan?

Who else is technically equipped to bat at 3 for Pakistan?

 

[mominsaigol]

Why is this clown opening for Pakistan?

Who else is technically equipped to bat at 3 for Pakistan?

I don't think he's equipped for anything. He's been a tail since 2022 tbh, hence the Nepal E Azam.

If he comes back to his 2019-2021 form then yes sure no 3 is fine

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Why is this clown opening for Pakistan?

Who else is technically equipped to bat at 3 for Pakistan?

Opening is better, gets him back into the pavilion without building up dot balls

 

[Rana]

Opening is better, gets him back into the pavilion without building up dot balls

Sad state of affairs

 

[Rana]

So he’s confirmed he will be playing at number 3 mostly

That’s one step in the right direction.

One more step would be to remove Rizwan as opener and play Fakhar as an opener with Saim.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

So he’s confirmed he will be playing at number 3 mostly

That’s one step in the right direction.

One more step would be to remove Rizwan as opener and play Fakhar as an opener with Saim.

I read somewhere that they might go with same riz/babar pair to open and will drop saim ayub to adjust Usman Khan into the playing 11.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Reporter asked Babar Azam about his batting position.

He replied: "You have to wait till tomorrow. Most likely, I will bat at one-down position."

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Shouldn't be a question. Babar needs to bat at No. 3. That is the best position for him to bat.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Shouldn't be a question. Babar needs to bat at No. 3. That is the best position for him to bat.

he still replied "most likely"

so u never know he will be opening again in next match