Leg and Off: Should Babar Azam open the batting for Pakistan in Champions Trophy 2025? 

Pakistan batter Babar Azam is likely to open the innings in the Champions Trophy 2025 if reports from CricToday are to be believed. This is a question of confidence that will force the stalwart to come out of his comfort zone and take up the challenge if the management decrees him to do so.

Azam is statistically a better white-ball batter than a red-ball one, with his average of 56 in ODIs surpassing the 43 he holds in Tests. However, if Pakistan choose to ask him to open the innings in the tournament, they could be playing with fire. Being their best batter, they could also be blamed for risking him too soon.

The suggestion of Azam being asked to open the innings did not find any takers. Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has lambasted the decision and sees it as a move to the former skipper 'the scapegoat.' He vehemently felt that Azam must not be subjected to facing the new ball so early on in the innings.

“Let’s not make Babar Azam the scapegoat. We all know that New Zealand has two new ball fast bowlers who can bowl over 145 kmph. Pakistan’s opening match is against New Zealand, and if Babar gets out early, the entire stadium will fall silent, and the tension will be palpable,” said Ali via CricToday.

“If Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman fail to score runs, who will step up to open the batting? In crucial matches, it’s always better to have specialists. Not having a dedicated opener would be unfair to Pakistan’s chances,” he added.

The argument of having a specialist do his job has rung true over the years, and the same applies to Pakistan's case in the Champions Trophy as well. Having won the tournament when it was last held in 2017 by beating arch-rivals and neighbors India in the final, Pakistan have the chance of doing so this time as well.

Playing in their home conditions, as well as the familiar United Arab Emirates, Pakistan will start the tournament as one of the favorites given their pedigree and unpredictability in one-day cricket. However, that could soon vanish into thin air if they lose Azam at the top of the order cheaply to their opponents' best bowlers.

Fakhar Zaman, who is expected to partner Babar Azam, is also one of Pakistan's best limited-overs batters, and it hardly makes sense for the management to expose both of them to the new ball. With Zaman opening the innings and providing some variety owing to his being left-handed, Azam is best suited to bat lower down the order.

Coming in at number three or four will allow the right-hander to build the innings and garner runs for the partnerships that they will need for either setting up a big total or chasing down one. His expertise against spin will come in handy if he walks straight out of the dressing room to take on a marauding slow bowler.

On the other hand, if he opens the innings, and as mentioned by Ali, loses his wicket to the express speedsters of his opponents, Pakistan's batting unit will be demoralized beyond measure. They do not have any experienced batters in the middle order who can consolidate the innings and rotate the strike well against slow bowlers.

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What will happen if Babar Azam opens the innings for Pakistan?

Babar Azam can be trusted to take on the bowlers inside the first powerplay.

However, if Babar Azam does open the innings for Pakistan, it could lead to a glorious revival of the days of yore when a team's best batters walked out to face the new ball. Most importantly, there is not much of a difference between batting at number three and opening the innings, with the possibility of coming in to face the second ball of the innings lurking large in the former position.

His technique is among the best in Pakistan's current limited-overs setup, and this makes him the favorite to open the innings in case a specialist is not found. Most importantly, if he gets going, it will give the rest of the batters in the side a lot of confidence seeing their talisman get among the runs early on.

What's more, Azam and Zaman can form a right-handed left-handed pair that is bound to trouble their opponents with regard to field placements. With the former's quirky habit of rotating the strike even against the new ball, it can be said with some certainty that it will cause immense headaches for the fielding captain.

Azam can also be trusted to take on the bowlers inside the first powerplay when only two fielders are allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Given his impeccable sense of timing and placement, he can make use of the pace from the opposition speedsters and find gaps with ease, getting Pakistan some early runs.

A bold attitude is needed to win ICC tournaments, and Pakistan need to display that if they aim to defend their title this time around. Hence, playing Azam at the top of the order could work in their favor, given how successful he has been essaying the same role in T20Is.

Although the format is longer, Azam has the composure to play out good deliveries and take risks only when needed. Although the 30-year-old has opened on just two occasions in ODIs in the past, he will not back down if the team asks him to step into this new role. His flamboyance at the top of the order will set Pakistan up for glory in this tournament and is bound to take their opponents by surprise too.