Babar Azam is back in the reckoning and this time it is his T20 strike rate that is in question. Simon Doull and Ameer Sohail got into a verbal argument, live on air while covering the Afghanistan VS Pakistan 3rd T20I. The point in question here was Babar Azam’s strike rate. His T20I strike rate hovers around 123. While the strike rate of other batters who are considered greatest in the T20 sport hovers around 145 to 150. Here is an in-depth look:
Babar Azam’s T20 Strike Rate is a Point of Concern:
Babar Azam, Pakistan’s T20I captain is back in the news. This time it is his strike rate in the T20 sport that has been bought up. In the recently concluded T20I series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Babar Azam was not a part. The Pakistan Cricket team had the opening pair of Saim Ayub and Mohammad Haris, as Babar was rested. But most cricket analysts say that the PCB must ensure that Babar bats at number 3 in T20Is. The number 3 position is like glue in the T20 format. It is a position where the batter can take his time and can bat at a strike rate of 125-130.
Simon Doull and Ameer Sohail Verbal Spat:
Simon Doull and Ameer Sohail got into a verbal argument live on air while covering the 1st innings of the 3rd T20I between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The argument was based on Babar Azam’s strike rate. Ameer Sohail said, “I don’t care about the strike rate what I am looking for is the average. If I am looking at the best players in T20 cricket like Chris Gayle and AB De Villiers, what is the strike rate like 135, 130?”.
To which Simon Doull strongly replied, “No it’s 158 for Chirs Gayle and 150 for AB De Villiers. Sorry, it is 145 for AB De Villiers, what is Babar’s?” He further added, “Babar Azam is hands down the best #3 batsman in the world. He should not open for Pakistan. Saim and Haris should open with Rizwan in T20Is.”
Strike Rate of the Best Batters in T20Is:
Let us look at a comparison between some of the top-rated batters in T20 cricket. The following table consists of the average and strike rates as well. A great T20 batter has a 135+ strike rate and an average above 35 as claimed by Harsha Bhogle.
| Player Name | Strike Rate | Average |
| Babar Azam | 128.9 | 44.8 |
| Virat Kohli | 137.8 | 52.74 |
| Chris Gayle | 144.5 | 36.66 |
| AB De Villiers | 150.8 | 37.6 |
| Rohit Sharma | 130.3 | 31.2 |
| David Warner | 141.7 | 37.63 |
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