Last Update on: November 2nd, 2023 at 01:15 pm
Mohammad Kaif pointed out that Babar Azam often faces dismissals when attempting to accelerate his innings.
Mohammad Kaif questioned Babar Azam's ability to shift gears and play aggressively throughout the World Cup.
Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed doubts about Pakistan skipper Babar Azam’s ability to finish matches with aggressive hitting. Mohammad Kaif pointed out that Babar Azam often faces dismissals when attempting to accelerate his innings.
Babar Azam has managed to score three half-centuries in the ICC World Cup 2023 but has failed to convert any of them into triple-digit scores. He has recorded scores of 5, 10, 50, 18, 74, 50, and 9 in the tournament, with all three half-centuries coming in losing causes.
The Pakistan skipper has accumulated 216 runs in seven matches at a dismal average of 30.86 and a strike rate of 77.70. However, concerns have arisen regarding his strike rate. The right-handed batter has managed a strike rate of over 100 in just one innings.
Babar Azam Is A Tough Player – Mohammad Kaif
Mohammad Kaif questioned Babar Azam‘s ability to shift gears and play aggressively. The former Indian batter stated that Babar lacks the ability to score quickly after settling at the crease, in contrast to players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
“The dismissal shows that when he changes gears, it is not his game. When he tries to hit balls out of the boundary, he gets caught on the line. It is not his strength; he is a touch player. If you ask him to score runs at a fast pace after 60 balls, he probably does not have the ability that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have,” Kaif remarked.
Pakistan Remains Alive In ICC World Cup 2023
The Men in Green retain an outside chance of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup semifinals following New Zealand’s recent heavy defeat. Pakistan currently occupies fifth place in the 10-team table, having accumulated six points with a net run rate (NRR) of -0.024.
The Babar Azam-led team will face New Zealand and England in their remaining two fixtures in the marquee tournament. If they win both matches, they could reach 10 points. South Africa’s victory boosted Pakistan’s chances of reaching the semi-finals of the tournament.
The Pakistan cricket team will play against the Tom Latham-led team in their next match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, November 4.
