After parting ways with the Pakistan cricket team, Mohammad Hafeez has claimed that he encouraged Babar Azam to adapt his role to the team's requirements during the recently held T20I series against New Zealand.

After the dismal World Cup 2023 campaign, the PCB appointed Hafeez as team director and head coach for the tours of Australia and New Zealand.

However, the decision didn’t yield a fruitful result as Pakistan suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the Test series Down Under while they lost the five-T20I series 4-1 against the Kiwis.

Last week, Hafeez’s tenure with the national team came to an end as the PCB decided against extending his contract.

Following the end of his stint, Hafeez spoke a local sports channel, where he opened up on reminding Babar and Mohammad Rizwan that they're not the only ones playing and it’s about the whole team.

"It took me about two months to convince Babar Azam that you have to do it for Pakistan and you are not the first one who's doing it. You are a great player, you are a wonderful player and you are playing great cricket however you have to develop Pakistan team. You and Rizwan are very good players, excellent players but you are not the whole team. We need to develop a team and for that I want you to come at number 3 because you have been playing this role in the ODI cricket for last six years, so it won't affect you; technically you are very solid," Hafeez said.

"Thank you very much to him that he accepted this and he played for Pakistan at number 3 which obviously I think is the best way to move," he added.

It is worth mentioning here that Babar Azam was opening the batting in T20Is for more than two years before the tour of New Zealand. However, he moved to the No. 3 spot on Hafeez’s suggestion and registered scores of 57, 66, 58, 19 and 13 in the five T20Is against BlackCaps.

Babar Azam’s demotion in the batting order allowed young Saim Ayub to open the innings with Rizwan.

(Cricket Pakistan inputs)