Last Updated on 5 years ago by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Babar Azam and selector in disagreement over Shoaib Malik | Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Wasim disagree over Shoaib Malik
According to reports out of Pakistan, skipper Babar Azam and chief selector Mohammad Wasim are in disagreement regarding the inclusion of Shoaib Malik in Pakistan’s squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Babar is reportedly keen to have Malik’s services in the 11 as a result of Pakistan’s middle order struggles in recent times. Wasim believes that Malik won’t benefit the team due to his age (39). However, there is a bit of conjecture around Wasim’s stance due to the fact that he has selected older players in the squad before, including 40-year old Mohammad Hafeez who played in Pakistan’s recent 1-0 series victory over West Indies.
Babar Azam keen to have Shoaib Malik to help Pakistan’s middle order woes
In 14 T20Is this year, only Fakhar Zaman has scored a half-century outside of the Babar Azam-Mohammad Rizwan duo. If Babar and Rizwan don’t quite fire, concerns rise further about Pakistan’s ability to post or chase down competitive totals.
Pakistan is undoubtedly a threat to the T20 World Cup title if they get things right. Shoaib Malik remains a key contributor in the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where he struck 351 runs in 13 matches in 2021 at a strike rate nearing 150. Plus, he struck 240 runs in seven innings in the recent Kashmir Premier League (KPL), certainly prompting skipper Babar Azam to call for his services.
Pakistan recently lost a T20I series 2-1 in England before beating West Indies 1-0 in a rain-affected series. Their bowling attack, especially in the UAE, has the potential to cause teams trouble. However, much still depends on Babar and Rizwan to provide great starts, with an inconsistent and unreliable middle order at hand.
If Pakistan can sort this, they will be mighty tough to beat.
