Babar and Rizwan are not going to win you tournaments, says Aaqib Javed: In the recently held T20 Asia Cup, many questions were raised about the attitude and intent of Pakistan’s openers, captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan. Critics have blamed the timid attitude of Babar and Rizwan for Pakistan’s Asia Cup final defeat. Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed slammed Pakistan captain Babar Azam and vice-captain Mohammad Rizwan for their slow and timid attitude while opening the batting. Aaqib claimed that the Pakistan cricket team would not be able to win any tournament due to the mobility of both.
Rizwan and Babar are currently ranked one and two in the ICC rankings for T20I batsmen and are making the bulk of the team’s runs. However, Rizwan’s strike rate has been under doubt as Javed also claimed that the top order’s wait-and-watch approach puts the team under pressure in the run-chases.
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“These two openers are not going to win you tournaments … Take the two openers [Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan], No.1 and No.2 players in the world. But such a player should know what to do. The vice-captain [Rizwan] plays for 15 overs – starts playing when the asking rate is 8 and leaves after taking it to 17! [in the Asia Cup final that Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka],” said Aaqib Javed while talking to the reporters.
“By making Fakhar Zaman bat at No.3, beda-gark kar rahen hai (they are destroying him). Fakhar should open with one of these two (Babar and Rizwan),” he added.
He also blasted Pakistan selectors and team management for playing Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, and Khushdil Shah in the team while suggesting alternatives for them, saying “Shoaib Malik was removed without an alternative, Paanch Saal mey ghuma-ghuma ke, Iftikhar Ahmed has come back 4 times. Same with Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah, Until you have an eye on it (feeder system below the national teams) and see who can come up to replace them, this will keep happening. I don’t know how we are going to get out of this situation.”
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