Former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez has sparked a debate by questioning the reliance on star openers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan to carry the entire team’s batting burden. Hafeez, who served as Pakistan’s team director in 2020, believes that the team needs a more balanced batting lineup.
During his tenure, Hafeez made a controversial decision to break up the Azam-Rizwan opening partnership, replacing Rizwan with Saim Ayub and dropping Azam to the number three spot. He argued that this change was necessary to spread the responsibility and create a more dynamic batting order.
“Babar and Rizwan are great players, but they do not represent the whole Pakistan team,” Hafeez said. “They cannot take the whole responsibility of the team upon their shoulders. I felt Saim Ayub as an opener was a solution for us.”
Hafeez explained that Azam has been batting at number three for several years and that moving him down the order would not significantly impact his performance. He also praised Ayub’s potential as an opener, despite his early failures.
“Saim must play as an opener in the T20 World Cup 2024 despite early failures,” Hafeez said. “He has the talent and the ability to succeed at the highest level.”
Hafeez’s comments come as Pakistan struggles in their ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. After winning the second match, Pakistan has lost two consecutive games, giving New Zealand an unassailable 2-1 lead.
The team’s batting has been inconsistent, with Azam and Rizwan failing to replicate their usual dominance. Hafeez’s suggestion to diversify the batting lineup could be a potential solution to Pakistan’s current struggles.
