Pakistan’s star batter Babar Azam has been struggling for runs lately. His extended lean patch has prompted many fans, former greats, and experts of the game to question his place in the side.
Babar endured a tough time in the ongoing red-ball series against Bangladesh at home. He bagged a golden duck in the first innings of the opening Test in Rawalpindi followed by a laboured 22 off 50 balls.
The right-hander couldn’t regain his form in the second Test as well, returning with scores of 31 and 11 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Babar hasn’t been able to cross the 50-run mark in his last 16 Test innings. No wonder, he is drawing flak from all quarters.
Amid the scrutiny, Pakistan’s Test coach Jason Gillespie has come out in support of Babar Azam, saying that the latter is “very close” to returning to his very best.
“Babar is a quality player, and he’s got a couple of starts. A bit like quite a few of our players, he hasn’t been able to convert starts. But Babar is a world-class player he’s very close, I feel it. I am really confident that we are going to see Babar scoring big runs very soon. He’s too good a player and looking forward to seeing him doing well,” Gillespie said in a press conference after the fourth day’s play in the second Test against Bangladesh.
Gillespie also explained the reason why left-arm pacer Shaheen Afridi was dropped from the second Test.
“There are obviously a few things we were hoping Shaheen can work on. He’s obviously had a very eventful time in his personal life as well. So, all that are being considered, we want Shaheen Afridi to be at his very best for as much cricket as possible,” the head coach stated.
“He’s an all-format player and we have got a heavy schedule. We have to make sure that he’s fit and firing and is bowling at his very best so that he’s able to play as many games as possible for Pakistan,” he added.
Having lost the opening Test by 10 wickets, Pakistan are on the verge of conceding the second Test as well. The visitors need 143 more runs to win with all 10 wickets intact in their second innings to seal the series 2-0.
