Babar Azam To Replace Saim Ayub As Opener: Pakistan’s Compulsion Calls For Last-Ditch Act

Why Babar must replace Saim Ayub as opener [Source: X, AFP]

Pakistan got humbled by England in their last game of the T20 World Cup Super 8 fixture, and now, the team faces Sri Lanka in a do-or-die match on Saturday. The defeat against the English side means that Pakistan not only has to beat the Lankan Lions, but also has to depend on the England-New Zealand result.

The team has witnessed several underperformers who have not done much for the team in the ongoing tournament, and one of them is their star batter, Babar Azam. Once the undisputed best opener of the team, Babar was first demoted to number 3 and was finally pushed down to 4 in the World Cup.

Babar may not be a great T20I batter, but his best position in this format is the opening slot. However, for some reason, the batter was demoted by the management, and the number 4 position doesn’t suit his batting style.

Why Pakistan must swallow their pride and promote Babar at opening spot

The Men in Green will battle against Sri Lanka, and perhaps, the time has come for the management to bring Babar back to his usual spot (opening), and demote Saim Ayub at number 3.

For the majority of his T20I career, the right-handed batter has played as an opener, and it is a spot that suits him well, and the numbers also reveal the reality.

(Babar Azam as opener, and at number 4)

• As the stats reveal, Babar has played the majority of his T20I career at the top, and while his strike rate always remains under scrutiny, the runs have come far more freely.
• As an opener, he has smacked 2973 runs, with an average touching 39, and a decent strike-rate of 130.
• However, that all changes when he bats at number 4 as not only Babar suffers, but the entire team has to pay the price. In eight innings at number 4, Babar has scored 210 runs.
• However, the average drops down to 30 (8 points below), and the strike rate goes way down to a mere 116.67, which showcases his inability to play at an unfavourable position.

Why Babar struggles at number 4

The number 4 spot is different from an opening position. At the top, the Pakistan batter used to take advantage of the powerplay and used to smack a couple of boundaries to get going. However, at 4, that luxury is not there.

Also Read: Umar Akmal Brutally Roasts Babar Azam After T20 World Cup Flop Show

By the time a middle-order batter arrives at the crease, the field is already spread, and hence, scoring boundaries is never easy. In the powerplay, Babar can simply find the gaps to score quick runs, but in the middle-order, he just doesn’t have the power game to trouble the opposition bowlers, and hence, his strike rate drops down to 116.

Power game is not Babar’s forte, and at 4, the batter is required to have the muscle game to clear the fence.

Who gets demoted if Babar bats at top

Saim Ayub has been a complete failure with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup. He has racked up just 70 runs at the top, but Saim’s off-break bowling is worthy of keeping him in the playing XI. He can be demoted to number 3 as Salman Agha, the Pakistan captain, hasn’t done anything significant at 3.

Saim Ayub can be the aggressor at number 3, with Babar back to his favourite opening slot, and Salman Agha shifted down to 4 as he has the power game to take down the bowlers.

Final verdict

Babar Azam has been a flop at number 4, and to revive his sinking T2OI career, the Pakistan management must promote him to his usual opening spot. This is where he thrives and has scored the bulk of his runs. If Babar gets promoted, the disappointing Saim Ayub can be demoted down the order.

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