"Would want Babar to open for my team and play full 20 overs" - Former Pakistan captain on Babar Azam

Pakistan wicketkeeper and former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed has backed star batter Babar Azam to continue batting at the top of the order in the shortest format. Quite a few questions have been raised about Babar's strike rate in the shortest format and whether he should drop down to the No. 3 position.

However, Sarfaraz has pointed out that Babar has the role of anchoring the innings and that there should be someone who can be explosive in the powerplay to bat alongside him.

Regarding Babar Azam's batting position, here's what Sarfaraz Ahmed was quoted as saying to a local channel by Cricket Pakistan:

"My opinion is different that if there is a partner alongside Babar [who can accelerate]. If I am the captain, I would want Babar to open for my team and play full 20 overs. If Babar is scoring 80 runs for me at one end, so my team would easily post 170 or 180. He is an anchor and other batsmen can play around him."

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Shahid Afridi on the perfect opening partner for Babar Azam

Former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi also had similar views on Babar Azam's batting position. He feels that Babar should continue to do what he does the best and that Pakistan need an opener who can make full use of the powerplay.

On this, Afridi stated:

"Babar takes time to build his innings and he needs a partner who has a strike rate of 140 plus since the powerplay is important and you have to make full use of it. So, strike rate matters a lot in T20 format, and after this PSL, we have players coming up who can build a solid partnership at the top of the order alongside Babar."

It would be interesting to see if someone like Mohammad Haris manages to become a permanent T20I opener for Pakistan alongside Babar.