RAWALPINDI: Head coach Azhar Mahmood of Pakistan has stated that there is no assurance that captain Babar Azam will play in all five games of the next Twenty20 International series against New Zealand.
In order to find a foreign coach to finally take over for the former all-rounder, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) temporarily named Azhar to the position.
But with the T20 World Cup less than two months away, the 49-year-old underlined the selection rules set by the PCB, which include rotating players to minimize their workload and offering playing time to the less experienced but promising youngsters to enhance the side’s bench.
During a press conference on Tuesday at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Azhar said to reporters, “We could definitely rest Babar, but it depends on the situation, anyone can be rested.” But we’ll see what strategies we can devise based on the circumstances.
Azhar, who was once a strong batter and a respectable pacer, mentioned that Pakistan will use the results of its matches against New Zealand and the next twelve matches against Ireland and England to determine the best lineup before the T20 World Cup.
“We are trying to establish a structure, a game plan, and give players clarity in their roles in this lead-up to the World Cup, which always helps with improvement,” the head coach noted. “We need to assess our bench strength by looking at the youthful talent that we have on the team. When we play our first T20 World Cup match on June 6, we want to field the best XI, therefore we will try to make advantage of it.
The rotation policy of the PCB’s seven-member selection committee has effectively given Azhar and his coaching staff unlimited options when determining how to best utilize each player’s strengths. This also holds true for the opening slots, which have been filled by Babar and Mohammad Rizwan for the majority of the previous four years.
There are several players in Pakistan’s top order to pick from, including as Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, and Saim Ayub.
Azhar stated, “We haven’t decided who will open the innings.” “Any number can be played by anyone. Only the top three batters in T20 need to be aware of their statistics; the other batters can adapt based on the circumstances.
The return of seasoned all-rounder Imad Wasim and veteran bowler Mohammad Amir, who both announced their retirements from international cricket last month, has enhanced the alternatives available lower down the order.
Azhar expressed his satisfaction with the squad, saying, “It covers almost all aspects of the game.” “We have two all-round players and a very strong fast bowling lineup, so it’s a balanced side.
We have an advantage since Amir and Imad are back, and we can utilize them whenever we want. The best talent available at the moment is in the batting lineup.
Azhar, who won the HBL Pakistan Super League for Islamabad United as head coach recently, stated that statistics indicated New Zealand was still a strong team, despite seemingly being diminished by the absence of their best players because they were playing in the ongoing Indian Premier League.
“This is still their best available talent, even though we won’t be playing against a full-fledged New Zealand team,” he said. Analyzing the facts and statistics reveals that all of these players have had remarkable success in both domestic cricket and in New Zealand.
“These players will have a great chance to apply for selection in the T20 World Cup during this [Pakistan series].” In the T20 format, no team can be written off as a poor side.
Similar to Azhar, Mark Chapman of New Zealand said that his team has a skilled and intriguing group despite “missing couple of [main] players.”
Chapman continued, “The Pakistan series was a very good opportunity for the second-string Kiwis to put their hands up.” The left-hander anticipated a thrilling series, which gets underway here on Thursday.
The 29-year-old said that his teammates were “aware about skills he possesses” and were cautious about Pakistan’s pace battery, which currently features Amir.
