Although Babar Azam is without a doubt one of the greatest hitters in contemporary cricket, he hasn’t recently been up to par in Test matches. Pakistan’s red-ball coach Jason Gillespie has expressed his support for the right-handed batsman, expecting that he will return to the batting sooner rather than later, following another disappointing campaign against Bangladesh.
To put things in context, the Lahore native has only scored 317 runs at a pitiful average of 21.13 from eight Tests, with a best score of 41 not recorded since January 2023. Babar has scores of 0, 22, 31, and 11 in the current two-match Test series between Pakistan and Bangladesh in Rawalpindi. He scored 11 off of 18 balls on Day 4 of the second Test before being removed by Nahid Rana.
Despite acknowledging Babar’s weakness, Gillespie predicted that the 29-year-old will soon be able to lead the Asian heavyweights in runs scored.
“Babar Azam is a talented player who has made a few starts.
He hasn’t been able to convert starts, much like a few of our guys. But I sense that Babar is a very near, elite player. I have a strong feeling that Babar will soon be hitting significant runs. “I’m excited to watch him succeed as he’s an exceptionally talented player,” Gillespie stated during the news conference following the day’s play. Following the play of the day, Gillespie stated during the press conference.
Desire to see Shaheen Afridi perform at his peak: Jason Gillespie
For the crucial second Test match against Bangladesh, Pakistan did not include Shaheen Afridi, their most seasoned bowler, in their lineup. Many speculated that the left-arm seamer’s recent lacklustre performances were the reason he was cut from the squad, but Gillespie provided an explanation for his non-selection.
It goes without saying that there are a few areas Shaheen has to improve. Clearly, he has also experienced a highly exciting period in his personal life. Thus, taking everything into account, we want Shaheen Afridi to play as much cricket as possible at his peak,” Gillespie stated.
Also Read: PAK vs BAN 2024: Gillespie accepts Bangladesh as the ‘favourites’ but wants Pakistan to fight
We have a busy schedule, and he plays all formats. In order for him to play as many games for Pakistan as possible, we need to make sure he’s healthy, effective, and bowling at the highest level, Gillespie continued.
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